Pulse-wave propagation through the pulmonary vascular bed of dogs

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Instantaneous blood flow in the anesthetized dog was recorded with a can-nulating electromagnetic flow probe in a pulmonary vein separated from the left atrium. Blood flows in the main pulmonary artery and an intact pulmonary vein and pressures in the main pulmonary artery, cannulated pulmonary vein, and left atrium were measured simultaneously. Delayed and attenuated waves transmitted from the main pulmonary artery were recorded in the cannulated vein. The onset of increased venous flow in midventricular systole was delayed by 0.08-0.16 sec. when directly compared with the corresponding pulses in the main pulmonary artery. The positive flow in the cannulated vein occurred at the same time as increased flow in an intact pulmonary vein. Increased pressure occurred during the normal systolic rise in left atrial pressure. A direct quantitative relation was noted between right ventricular stroke volume and the amplitude of the pressure and flow waves in the cannulated pulmonary vein. The results show that pulsations are normally transmitted through the pulmonary vascular bed and that these pulsations influence the pattern and degree of left atrial filling.