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Correlations between pharmacological responses and structure of human lung parenchyma strips
Author(s) -
Bertram John F.,
Goldie Roy G.,
PapadimitriouM John M.,
Paterson James W.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
british journal of pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.432
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1476-5381
pISSN - 0007-1188
DOI - 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1983.tb11055.x
Subject(s) - parenchyma , lung , isometric exercise , contraction (grammar) , alveolar wall , anatomy , pulmonary alveolus , pathology , medicine , respiratory disease
1 Correlations were sought between responses of human lung parenchyma strip to 5‐hydroxytryptamine (5‐HT) and (‐)‐noradrenaline (NA) and the proportions of the three major, potentially contractile components within the strip, namely smooth muscle in airways proximal to alveolar ducts, vascular smooth muscle and contractile cells in alveolar septa. 2 After the isometric measurement of responses to 5‐HT or to NA, lung strips were processed for stereological examination at the light microscopic level. On average, approximately 46% of the total volume of the lung strip was tissue and the remainder was air space. Tissue contained blood vessels (16.8%), airways proximal to alveolar ducts (4.8%) and alveolar parenchyma (78.4%). 3 Human lung parenchyma strips relaxed, contracted or failed to respond to 5‐HT or NA. Results indicated that these agonists caused simultaneous contraction of blood vessels and relaxation of airways proximal to alveolar ducts. The size and type of responses to 5‐HT or NA was significantly correlated with the ratio of the volume of blood vessels and larger airways. 4 Conversely, the proportion of alveolar tissue in lung strips was not significantly correlated with responses to 5‐HT or NA.