SOME OF THE METHODS OF OUR WORK

ISOLATED RAT LUNG PERFUSED AND VENTILATDEX VIVO
The isolated rat lung preparation is ventilated, using a respirator, with a normoxic or hypoxic gas mixture containing 5% CO2 (to maintain normal perfusate pH). The perfusate (either blood or Krebs-albumin solution) is pumped into the pulmonary artery from a reservoir, and the outflow returns to the reservoir passively through a large cannula in the left atrium. Most often, the flow rate is kept constant (0.04 ml/min/g of body weight as a rule), so that the changes in measured perfusion pressure reflect changes in vascular resistance. However, quite often we also measure the pressure-flow relationship by varying the flow rate and plotting it against the resulting changes in pressure.
PEEP = positive end-expiratory pressure (typically we use 2.5 cm H2O).


LUNG AND KIDNEY ISOLATED FROM THE SAME RAT AND PERFUSED EX VIVO WITH A COMMON PERFUSATE
We designed this new model specifically for our study comparing pulmonary and systemic NO synthesis by combining two well established models - isolated perfused rat lung and isolated perfused rat kidney - into one. A portion of the lung outflow is pumped into the kidney (the flow through the lung needs to be much higher than the flow through the kidney). The lung also serves to control the oxygenation of the perfusate (Krebs-albumin solution) for the kidney. Renal vein is not cannulated and its outflow flows freely into the heated Petri dish in which the kidney is bathed and which overflows into the main perfusate reservoir.