Halothane inhibits hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction in the presence of cyclooxygenase blockade.

Using an isolated lung the effects of halothane on hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPV) were studied in the presence of cyclooxygenase blockade. The pulmonary vasculature can be divided into arterial, middle and venous segment resistances. Analysis of the vascular pressure-flow relationship further separates resistance into a flow dependent resistance (1/slope) and a zero-flow pressure intercept (PCRIT). We ventilated six lobes with control (35 per cent O2) and hypoxic (three per cent O2) gas mixtures with the addition of either 0, 0.5, 1.0, or 2.0 per cent halothane. We found that after addition of indomethacin (5 mg.kg-1), ventilation with three per cent O2 increased total resistance by 87 per cent over baseline with the increase primarily in the middle vascular segment. During normoxic ventilation PCRIT was 7.9 cm H2O and this increased significantly with hypoxia to 11.5 cm H2O). Only 2.0 per cent halothane blocked the increases in middle segment resistance and in PCRIT. We conclude that following cyclooxygenase blockade, halothane inhibits HPV by acting on middle segment vessels.