Cardiopulmonary baroreflexes: effects of pulmonary congestion and edema.

Systemic vasodepressor reflexes were initiated in pump-oxygenator perfused dogs by separately pressurizing the pulmonary vessels and the left cardiac chambers. Pulmonary vascular pressurization caused transient systemic vasodilation of a magnitude proportional to stimulus pressure over the range 0-65 cmH2O. The sensitivity of this reflex was sigificantly less than that of the left heart baroreflex. Mild pulmonary edema produced by a period of sustained congestion, and moderate edema, caused by sustained congestion in the presence of alloxan, had no discernible effect on systemic vasomotor tone or on subsequent pulmonary vascular baroreflexes. By comparison of these results with earlier studies in similar preparations I concluded that pulmonary arterial baroreflexes could alone produce the response obtained by pressurizing the entire pulmonary vascular bed. Although it was anticipated that type-J, irritant, and stretch receptors would be affected by congestion, no systemic vascular effects attributable to them were seen.