Lung tissue and capillary blood volumes by rebreathing and morphometric techniques.

Gas rebreathing measurements of lung tissue volume (Vt) and pulmonary capillary blood volume (Vc) were made in five anesthetized dogs. After the rebreathing measurements, the lungs were inflation fixed with glutaraldehyde and analyzed morphometrically. Each lung was morphometrically divided into alveolar and nonalveolar compartments and each compartment was divided into its air, tissue and blood components. Average rebreathing and morphometric measurements of Vc were 42 and 84 ml, respectively. The reasons for this difference remain unclear. The rebreathing Vt (198 ml) was 40 ml (25%) greater than the morphometric alveolar tissue and blood components (158 ml). Assuming that the rebreathing technique measures all of the alveolar compartment, the rebreathing measurement includes a significant fraction of the nonalveolar compartment.