A. Serraf et al., ENDOTHELIAL DYSFUNCTION IN VENOUS PULMONARY-HYPERTENSION IN THE NEONATAL PIGLET, The Annals of thoracic surgery, 59(5), 1995, pp. 1155-1161
In a group of neonatal piglets an increase in pulmonary arterial press
ure was obtained within 2 weeks after a partial mechanical obstruction
of the left atrium by a balloon catheter. Mean pulmonary artery press
ure in the hypertensive animals (n = 6) was 24 +/- 2 mm Hg as compared
(p < 0.01) with 15 +/- 1 mm Hg in controls (n = 6) or 9 +/- 2 mm Hg i
n sham-operated piglets (n = 6). Cardiac index was reduced in hyperten
sive versus control and sham groups: 0.15 +/- 0.01 versus 0.32 +/- 0.0
5 and 0.29 +/- 0.04 L . min(-1) . kg(-1) (p < 0.05), respectively. The
re was no detectable difference on histologic examination in the pulmo
nary arteries between the three groups. Right ventricular hypertrophy
was observed in the group with pulmonary hypertension. In hypertensive
piglets, isolated conduit pulmonary arteries did not relax when stimu
lated with acetylcholine; they always relaxed to sodium nitroprusside.
These data suggest that the first stages of perturbations reported du
ring pulmonary venous hypertension occur at the level of the pulmonary
vascular endothelium. This neonatal model of pulmonary hypertension i
s simple to perform and might be useful for further investigations.