Morphometrical study of gross lung vessels.
The lung trunk, right and left arteries and 4 pulmonary veins were measured on unfixed lung specimens of human adults. Outer and inner radii, thickness of the walls and cross sectional area (CSA) of arterial vessels increase with age. A linear equation was obtained for each value. The age related force influencing factor on parameters of vessels was calculated using analysis of variance. The relation of radii and CSA of the lung trunk and 2 lung arteries was studied and the analysis of this relation was made on the base of optimality principles. The sizes of lung veins, differing from those of arteries, remain constant until old age, but relation between their CSA changes. As a result, in older groups relative narrowings of canals of blood output from lungs can occur. This may play a certain role in genesis of lung circulation disturbances.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000886:Anthropometry; D006801:Humans; D008722:Methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D011667:Pulmonary Veins / Q000033:anatomy & histology*