COMPARISON OF PULMONARY HYALINE MEMBRANES IN VAGOTOMIZED RABBITS WITH THOSE IN NEWBORN INFANTS

Abstract

Pulmonary hyaline membranes similar in appearance to those seen in newborn infants were found in 13 of 20 rabbits vagotomized bilaterally in the midcervical region. The time of appearance of these membranes in relation to the operative procedure in the rabbits approximated closely the time of appearance of the membranes seen in the lungs of newborn infants in respect to the time of birth. In both species a polysaccharide aldehyde was regularly identified in the hyaline membranes. The similarity of the pulmonary lesion seen in vagotomized rabbits to that seen in newborn infants suggests that there may be factors common to both which are responsible for these pulmonary changes.