Abstract
Measurement of the rate of excretion of ethane and n-pentane in expired gas has been suggested as a method of detecting oxygen induced injury to the lung. To test this theory, we made daily measurements of pulmonary arterial (PA) and left atrial (LA) pressures, lung lymph flow, the lymph:plasma protein ratio and concentrations of ethane and n-pentane in expired gas in 6 23±3 day old lambs as they continuously breathed 100% oxygen.
After 3-4 days in oxygen lung lymph flow and the lymph:plasma protein ratio increased demonstrating that pulmonary microvascular permeability to protein had increased presumably as a result of oxygen induced damage to the endothelium. Daily excretion of ethane and n-pentane did not change throughout the course of the experiment even though all 6 lambs died of respiratory failure from oxygen toxicity. We conclude that the measurement of excretion of ethane and n-pentane in expired gas is not a reliable indicator of oxygen induced damage to the lungs of lambs.
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Hansen, T., Smith, H., Gest, A. et al. MEASUREMENT OF EXPIRED ETHANE AND N-PENTANE DOES NOT PREDICT OXYGEN INDUCED DAMAGE TO THE LUNGS OF LAMBS. Pediatr Res 18 (Suppl 4), 393 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198404001-01800
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198404001-01800