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Persistent fetal pulmonary hypoperfusion after acute hypoxia.

To determine the effects of duration of hypoxia on fetal pulmonary blood flow and vasoreactivity, we studied the response of the fetal pulmonary vascular bed before, during, and after prolonged (2-h) and more brief (30-min) exposures to acute hypoxia in 19 chronically instrumented unanesthetized fetal lambs. Left pulmonary arterial blood flow was measured by an electromagnetic flow transducer. Fetal PO2 was lowered by delivering 10-12% O2 to the ewe. During 2-h periods of hypoxia left pulmonary arterial blood flow decreased, and main pulmonary arterial and pulmonary vascular resistance increased. The increase in pulmonary vascular resistance was sustained throughout the 2-h period of hypoxia. After the return of the ewe to room air breathing, pulmonary vascular resistance remained elevated for at least 1 h despite the rapid correction of hypoxemia and in the absence of acidemia. In contrast, after 30 min of hypoxia, left pulmonary arterial blood flow, pulmonary arterial pressure, and pulmonary vascular resistance returned to base-line values rapidly with the termination of hypoxia. The persistent pulmonary hypoperfusion after 2 h of hypoxia was attenuated by alpha-adrenergic blockade and was characterized by a blunted vasodilatory response to increases in fetal PO2. When fetal PO2 was elevated during the posthypoxia period in the presence of alpha-blockade, pulmonary blood flow still remained unresponsive to increases in fetal PO2. We conclude that 2-h periods of acute hypoxia can decrease fetal pulmonary vasoreactivity, and we speculate that related mechanisms may contribute to the failure of the normal adaptation of the pulmonary circulation at birth.