Carbon Deposition in Bronchial and Pulmonary Vessels in Response to Vasoactive Compounds

Abstract

Summary and Conclusions

After intravenous injection of low doses of collodial carbon into rats, a small number of particles are normally found inside phagocytic vacuoles in endothelial cells of small pulmonary vessels. Histamine-type mediators of inflammation injected intravenously induce carbon labeling of bronchial venules while leaving pulmonary vessels virtually unaffected. Under the same conditions, epinephrine does not affect bronchial vessels but greatly enhances the phagocytosis of circulating particles by the endothelium of pulmonary vessels.

This work was supported in part by grants No. 3.356.70 from the Fonds National Suisse de la Recherche Scientifique. We thank Haussman Laboratories for the supply of Ferrum Haussman; Mrs. A. Fiaux and Miss M-C. Armand for technical help; Messrs. J-C. Rümbeli and E. Denkinger for photographic work; Drs. G. B. Ryan and P. V. Taylor for help, advice and criticism during various stages of this work.