Bronchial circulation in high altitudes.

ZAPATA-ORTIZ, VICENTE, RAMIRO CASTRO DE LA MATA, ENRIQUE FERNANDEZ, ARTURO GEU, AND LUIS BATALLA. Bronchial circulation in high altitudes. Am. J. Physiol. 2 I 2 (6) : I #j41468. 1967. -Bronchial circulation and bronchopulmonary anastomoses have been studied in two groups of sheep native to the high Andes (above 4,000 m) and to the Peruvian coastal plain. The high altitude-adapted animals showed a decreased bronchial arterial flow as well as a reduction in the bronchopulmonary anastomotic flow going from the bronchial artery to the pulmonary circuit. Using indicator-dilution method, the existence of bronchopulmonary anastomotic flow from the pulmonary circuit to bronchial veins has been demonstrated in both groups of animals. The pharmacological responses of the bronchial circulation of the sheep are similar to those reported for other animal species.