PULMONARY CHEMORECEPTORS

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The existence of a chemoreceptor mechanism supplied by the pulmonary artery was demonstrated in the following manner.In anæsthetized cats or rabbits the main pulmonary artery was cannulated through the right ventricle. The right pulmonary artery was tied and the left pulmonary artery cannulated approximately 0·5 cm. from the bifurcation. The isolated pulmonary segment was perfused at normal pressure and rate of blood flow. Reflex effects on respiration and sympathetic nervous efferent activity were studied by simultaneous perfusion of the systemic circulation at normal pressure and flow rate.Perfusion of the isolated pulmonary arterial segment with added NaCN caused increased afferent vagal activity. When the systemic circulation was perfused simultaneously and independently of the pulmonary arterial segment, anoxia or asphyxia of the pulmonary arterial perfusate caused reflex increase in the rate and depth of respiration and sympathetic activity. Hypercapnia of the pulmonary arterial blood had little effect in the presence of a high oxygen tension.