The Lung Circulation

The Lung Circulation deals with important aspects of the lung circulation, with emphasis on the physiology of the pulmonary and bronchial circulation and autonomic pharmacology. Topics covered range from the role of anoxia in pulmonary circulation to reflexes arising from the pulmonary circulation and neighboring structures. The release of chemical substances from the pulmonary and bronchial circulation is also discussed. This volume is comprised of 10 chapters and begins with a review of the influence of anoxia on pulmonary circulation as well as four pertinent effects of anoxemia, namely, respiratory stimulation; cardiac stimulation; systemic vasoconstriction and vasodilatation; and pulmonary vasoconstriction and vasodilatation). The following chapters focus on the regulation of bronchial circulation; autonomic nervous control of pulmonary circulation involving acetylcholine, anticholinesterases, and atropine; and the pharmacology of sympathomimetic drugs, sympathetic blocking drugs, ganglion stimulants, and blocking drugs. The final chapter is devoted to the pharmacology of the autonomic nervous system and considers drugs that stimulate chemoreflexes arising from the lung circulation, including veratrum alkaloids. This book will appeal to physiologists and pharmacologists.