I. Purpose of investigation
In order to elucidate the dynamic aspect of the mucosa of the respiratory tract, its electric resistance was determined on cases with various tracheo-bronchial and pulmonary diseases applying the phenomenon of the galvanic skin reflex which has been already well documented. (The mucosal resistances for the trachea and the main bronchus are to be abbreviated as TER and BER respectively)
II. Method
The subjects consisted of 81 clinical cases with various respiratory and other diseases and 276 dogs experimented upon. Measurements were carried out as follows: in clinical cases, an electrode was attached to the membrane-like part of the trachea and the main bronchi of the both sides with the aid of a bronchoscope under local anesthesia, on the animals, the same procedure was performed under intravenous anesthesia with sodium pentobarbital. Electric resistance of the mucosa was measured under several conditions with a view to clarifying the mechanism for this phenomenon.
III. Results
1) In normal man, TER was 11.0±1.14KΩ, right BER 11.2±0.90KΩ and left BER 11.7±1.56KΩ. There was no significant difference in the values among the sites measured on.
In the normal dog, the values were lower than those for man, TER being 8.2±0.93KΩ, right BER 6.4±0.88KΩ, and left BER 6.8±0.79KΩ. It was found that TER was higher than BER and that BER tended to be higher on the left side.
2) In respiratory diseases such as bronchitis and bronchiectasis, the resistance was markedley decreased from the normal level in the following order: bronchiectasis>chronic bronchitis>acute bronchitis.
In bronchiectasis, the decrease of BER was all the more striking on the affected side. In experimental bronchiectasis produced in dogs were obtained similar results, too.
3) In pulmonary tuberculosis, both TER and BER showed a definite reduction. In active tuberculosis, the fall of TER was more distinct than that of BER as compared to the case with inactive tuberculosis.
4) In bronchopneumonia, both TER and BER were decreased as in pulmonary tuberculosis. The decrease of BER was larger on the affected side.
5) In lung cancer, TER and BER showed the greatest decrease as against the other diseases. BER was particularly lower on the affected side than normal side.
6) In exudative pleuritis and spontaneous pneumothorax, too, TER and BER were lower than the normal values.
No definite relationship could be established between the decrease in the electric resistance and the amount of pleural effusions or the degree of pneumothorax on account of paucity of the subject cases.
7) In dogs, determinations were carried out under several experimental conditions such as occlusion of the bronchus, exposure of the vagus, and mono- or bilateral vagotomy. Both TER and BER were lowered under any of these condition with some difference in the degree of decrease. Automonic nerve stimulants were found to have a strong effect on TER; pilocarpine and adrenalin caused a decrease in the value, but atropine enhanced the electric resistance, thus presenting a striking contrast.
8) No definite relationship could be demonstrated between TER or BER and the pathohistological changes in the wall of the respiratory tract.
9) It may be concluded that TER and BER are decreased in various pathological conditions, though the degree of decrease varies from disease to disease. Further studies are still necessary to elucidate the mechanism underlying the development of such electric changes in the mucosa of respiratory tract, but this method may be regarded as one of helpful observations to be made in investigating pathophysiology of the respiratory tract wall.
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