Vagal denervation inhibits the increase in pulmonary blood flow during partial lung aeration at birth

摘要

Key points class="unordered" style="list-style-type:disc" id="tjp12134-list-0001">Lung aeration at birth significantly increases pulmonary blood flow, which is unrelated to increased oxygenation or other spatial relationships that match ventilation to perfusion.Using simultaneous X‐ray imaging and angiography in near‐term rabbits, we investigated the relative contributions of the vagus nerve and oxygenation to the increase in pulmonary blood flow at birth.Vagal denervation inhibited the global increase in pulmonary blood flow induced by partial lung aeration, although high inspired oxygen concentrations can partially mitigate this effect.The results of the present study indicate that a vagal reflex may mediate a rapid global increase in pulmonary blood flow in response to partial lung aeration.