AJP - Heart AJP: Advances in Physiology Education
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 279: H3047-H3057, 2000;
0363-6135/00 $5.00
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Web of Science (8)
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Bennett, S. H.
Right arrow Articles by Goetzman, B. W.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Bennett, S. H.
Right arrow Articles by Goetzman, B. W.
Vol. 279, Issue 6, H3047-H3057, December 2000

Form and function of fetal and neonatal pulmonary arterial bifurcations

Stephen H. Bennett1, Marlowe W. Eldridge2, Daniel Zaghi1, Shaaron E. Zaghi1, Jay M. Milstein1, and Boyd W. Goetzman1

1 Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, University of California Davis, Davis, California 95616; and 2 Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine, Madison, Wisconsin 53792-4108

Bifurcation is a basic form of vascular connection. It is composed of a parent vessel of diameter d0, and two daughter vessels, d1 and d2, where d0 > d1 >=  d2. Optimal values for the bifurcation area ratio, beta  = (d12 + d22)/d02, and the junction exponent, x, in d0x = d1x + d2x, are postulated to be universal in nature. However, we have hypothesized that the perinatal pulmonary arterial circulation is an exception. Arterial diameters were measured in pulmonary vascular casts of a fetal lamb (140 days gestation/145 days term) and a neonatal lamb (1 day old). The values for beta  and x were evaluated in 10,970 fetal and 846 neonatal bifurcations sampled from the proximal and intermediate arterial regions. Mean values and confidence intervals (CI) for the fetus were beta  = 0.890 (0.886-0.895 CI) and x = 1.75 (1.74-1.76 CI); and for the newborn were beta  = 0.913 (0.90-0.93 CI) and x = 1.79 (1.75-1.82 CI). These values are significantly different from Murray's law (beta  > 1, x = 3) or the West-Brown-Enquist law (beta  = 1, x = 2). Therefore, perinatal pulmonary bifurcation design appears to be distinctive and exceptional. The decreasing cross-sectional area with branching leads to the hemodynamic consequence of shear stress amplification. This structural organization may be important for facilitating vascular development at low flow rates; however, it may be the origin of unstable reactivity if elevated blood flow and pressure occurs.

pulmonary arterial morphometry; branching complexity; heterogeneity


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol.Home page
P.-H. Rolland, P. de Lagausie, E. Stathopoulos, O. Lepretre, G. Viudes, G. Gorincour, G. Hery, C. de Magnee, O. Paut, and J.-M. Guys
Phasic hemodynamics and reverse blood flows in the aortic isthmus and pulmonary arteries of preterm lambs with pulmonary vascular dysfunction
Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, December 1, 2008; 295(6): H2231 - H2241.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol.Home page
Z. Ghorishi, J. M. Milstein, F. R. Poulain, A. Moon-Grady, T. Tacy, S. H. Bennett, J. R. Fineman, and M. W. Eldridge
Shear stress paradigm for perinatal fractal arterial network remodeling in lambs with pulmonary hypertension and increased pulmonary blood flow
Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, June 1, 2007; 292(6): H3006 - H3018.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 PhysiologyHome page
H. Kurz, P. H. Burri, and V. G. Djonov
Angiogenesis and Vascular Remodeling by Intussusception: From Form to Function
Physiology, April 1, 2003; 18(2): 65 - 70.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol.Home page
K. L. Karau, R. C. Molthen, A. Dhyani, S. T. Haworth, C. C. Hanger, D. L. Roerig, R. H. Johnson, and C. A. Dawson
Pulmonary arterial morphometry from microfocal X-ray computed tomography
Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, December 1, 2001; 281(6): H2747 - H2756.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Visit Other APS Journals Online