Solute conductance of blood-gas barrier in hamsters exposed to hyperoxia

Hamsters were exposed to > 95% O₂ continuously for up to 5 days to determine longitudinal changes in the diffuse conductance of the alveolar epithelium and capillary endothelium as a result of hyperoxia. Permeability x surface area (PS, cm³/s x 10^-4) was measured by isolated, perfused lung techniques. Alveolar epithelium PS for [¹⁴C]sucrose and ¹²⁵I-bovine serum albumin (BSA) were determined at seven exposure times. Control PS (sucrose) and PS(BSA) averaged 1.00 and 0.022, respectively. Values were unchanged until 4.5 days, when significant increases in both, but especially PS(BSA), occurred. After 5 days, PS values were 4.69 and 0.691, respectively. Capillary endothelium PS for ¹²⁵I-BSA and fluoresceinisothiocyanate dextran-150 (D-150) were measured at four exposure times. Control endothelium PS(BSA) and PS(D-150) averaged 0.232 and 0.048, respectively. These values were also unchanged after 4 days but increased to 0.440 and 0.131 after 5 days. Wet lung weight significantly increased after only 4 days. Hyperoxia thus increased both endothelium and epithelium PS, but epithelium changes were much greater. These functional changes do not occur for several days, occur simultaneously, and follow increases in lung wet weight.