Reactions of Isolated Pulmonary Blood Vessels to Anoxia, Epinephrine, Acetylcholine and Histamine

Abstract

Using an angio-plethysmokymographic method, comparative reactivity of 86 isolated surviving major pulmonary arteries and veins of man, dog, swine and cats was studied. Anoxia did not cause vaso -constriction. Epinephrine caused constriction in all arteries and in dog pulmonary veins. Acetylcholine vasoconstricted the dog pulmonary veins. Histamine constricted pulmonary veins of man, dog and swine. The increased blood histamine levels previously reported in hypoxia are probably sufficient to cause pulmonary venous constriction in the intact animal.