TY  - JOUR
A1  - ,  
T1  - Ideal transpulmonary pressure for excised lungs. Morphometric study of the rat
JO  - Eur. J. Anat.
SN  - 1136-4890
Y1  - 2000
VL  - 4
SP  - 53
EP  - 60
UR  - http://www.eurjanat.com/web/paper.php?id=00010053
KW  - airway
KW  - animal experiment
KW  - animal tissue
KW  - article
KW  - artifact
KW  - controlled study
KW  - exercise
KW  - lung alveolus
KW  - lung edema
KW  - lung pressure
KW  - lung volume
KW  - morphometrics
KW  - nonhuman
KW  - rat
KW  - tissue fixation
KW  - total lung capacity
N2  - We carried out this study to propose a transpulmonary pressure (TPP) which will permit the utmost fixation of a lung in which artefacts are produced. 80 rats were used divided into two age groups: adults and older animals. These groups were then organised into four sub-groups according to the TPP used for the fixation: 20, 25, 30, and 35 cm H<sub>2</sub>O They were fixed by airway with formalin at 10% Lung volume was measured and a descriptive histological and morphometric study was made. The results obtained in the adult animals reveal a direct relation with the TPP. As the TPP was elevated, the pulmonary aerial volume and the internal alveolar surface increased significantly in the lungs fixed at 25, 30, and 35 cm H<sub>2</sub>O cm as compared to those fixed at 20 H<sub>2</sub>O. The alveolar cord diminished significantly in the three groups fixed at the higher pressure as compared with that of the 20 cm H<sub>2</sub>O group. The number of alveoli and the tissue volume increased significantly when the TPP was raised from 20 to 30 cm H<sub>2</sub>O and from 30 to 35 cm H<sub>2</sub>O. Only the older animals showed significant differences in the alveolar cord when the TPP was raised from 20 to 25 cm H<sub>2</sub>O. We propose that in the adult animals the TPP of 25 cm H<sub>2</sub>O is the most adequate for king fixation; the TPP of 35 cm H<sub>2</sub>O is that which most distended the lung. However, the increase in tissue volume suggests the possibility that tissue edema has occurred. In the lungs of older animals, the slight differences found suggest that any of the TPP utilised may be used since the lungs were barely modified by them.
ER  -