Gas-blood CO2 equilibration in parabronchial lungs of birds

We have conducted two experimental series in the chicken in order to study CO2 exchange in the parabronchial lungs of birds. In the first series, the animals were artifically ventilated and end-expired PCO2, PE'CO2, was measured and compared with mixed venous PCO2, PVCO2. On the average, PECO2 exceeded PVCO2 by 2.8 Torr. In the second series, rebreathing was used to investigate the mechanism of this positive (PE'-PV)CO2 difference. Lung gas PCO2 was found to equilibrate with PVCO2 if both CO2 and O2 exchange in the lung was abolished during rebreathing. Only if O2 uptake continued, we observed a positive gas-to-mixed venous blood PCO2 difference. The results suggest that positive gas-blood PCO2 differences both during rebreathing and steady-state ventilation are brought about by the Haldane effect. Model calculations show that in the homogeneous avian lung, unlike in the alveolar lung, the Haldane effect can produce positive (PE'-PV)CO2 differences during steady-state breathing due to the peculiarities of the crosscurrent arrangement and parabronchial ventilation and blood perfusion.