This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by ALPERT, J. S. Articles by DEXTER, L. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by ALPERT, J. S. Articles by DEXTER, L.

(Circulation. 1974;49:152.)
© 1974 American Heart Association, Inc.

---

Experimental Pulmonary Embolism

Effect on Pulmonary Blood Volume and Vascular Compliance

JOSEPH S. ALPERT M.D.¹; FLORENCE W. HAYNES PH.D.¹; JAMES E. DALEN M.D.¹; LEWIS DEXTER M.D.¹

¹ From the Cardiovascular Laboratory and the Department of Medicin, Peter Bent Brigham Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.

Autologous blood clot was used to produce pulmonary macroembolism, and lycopodium spores to produce microembolism in normal mongrel dogs. Pressures were recorded from the pulmonary artery, left atrium and femoral artery; cardiac output and pulmonary blood volume (PBV) were determined using sequential indicator dilution curves from injections into the pulmonary artery and left atrium. Macro- and microembolism caused comparable elevations of pulmonary artery pressure and total pulmonary resistance. Macroembolism with blood clots resulted in marked decreases in PBV and pulmonary vascular compliance. However, microembolism with lycopodium spores caused only small decreases in PBV despite a large reduction in pulmonary vascular compliance. Prostaglandin E₁ infusion after microembolism had no effect on pulmonary hemodynamics, but caused significant systemic hypotension. After macroembolism PGE₁ infusion decreased PBV and decreased systemic arterial pressure.

Key Words: Macroembolism • Microembolism • Blood clot • Prostaglandin

Submitted on June 4, 1973
Accepted on August 16, 1973

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. Krebs, N. Aebli, B.G. Goss, K. Wilson, R. Williams, and S.J. Ferguson Cardiovascular Changes after Pulmonary Cement Embolism: An Experimental Study in Sheep AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., June 1, 2007; 28(6): 1046 - 1050. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]