T. Urano et al., INTERRUPTION OF PULMONARY ARTERIAL FLOW WITH INADEQUATE VENTILATION LEADS TO PULMONARY INFARCTION, Virchows Archiv, 427(6), 1996, pp. 607-612
We examined the effect of interruption of pulmonary arterial flow and
inadequate ventilation on the development of pulmonary infarction in r
ats. Pulmonary arterial flow was blocked by the injection of agar into
the inferior vena cava and inadequate ventilation was produced by obs
tructing the left main bronchus with a polypropylene tip. Histological
and angiographic examination of the lung demonstrated that: pulmonary
artery embolism alone does not induce pulmonary infarction; obstructi
on of a bronchus does not induce significant changes, but that pulmona
ry infarction develops when pulmonary artery embolism and obstruction
of a bronchus occur simultaneously. It has been thought that pulmonary
infarction is caused by acute obstruction of a pulmonary artery, howe
ver, the alveolar walls are supplied with oxygen by both the pulmonary
circulation and by ventilation. Interruption of pulmonary arterial fl
ow alone is probably not sufficient to induce pulmonary infarction, wh
ich is probably caused by deficiency of oxygen supply to the alveolar
walls by a synergy between interruption of pulmonary arterial flow and
inadequate ventilation.