title: Extracorporeal circulation in the isolated in situ lamb placenta: hemodynamic characteristics.
abstract: Decreased placental perfusion and respiratory gas exchange have been observed after experimental fetal cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). To better characterize placental hemodynamics during CPB, seven isolated in situ lamb placentas were placed on a CPB circuit by use of umbilical arterial and venous cannulation. Measures were taken to simulate normal placental hemodynamics. Perfusion flow rates were varied from 15 to 300 ml.min-1.kg fetal wt-1 during normothermia and hypothermia. Placental vascular resistance (PVR) remained constant when perfusion pressure and flow were varied above 40 mmHg and 150 ml.min-1.kg-1, respectively. Below these values, PVR varied inversely. This increase in PVR was more marked when CPB was performed with hypothermia than with normothermia. The clinical implication is that decreased placental flow and pressure on CPB may lead to a vicious cycle, resulting in further impairment of placental perfusion and respiratory gas exchange. Hypothermia promotes this impairment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Assad
authors.forename: F Y
authors.initials: FY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bergner
authors.forename: F L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Hanley
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D002315:Cardiopulmonary Bypass; D005112:Extracorporeal Circulation; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000098:blood supply; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009599:Nitroprusside / Q000494:pharmacology; D010920:Placenta / Q000098:blood supply*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012756:Sheep; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D009599:Nitroprusside