Morphometric estimation of pulmonary diffusion capacity: III. The effect of increased oxygen consumption in Japanese Waltzing mice

Abstract

The average oxygen consumption of Japanese Waltzing Mice (JWM) exceeds that of normal white laboratory mice (NM) by 80 percent. Morphometric analysis reveals that the alveolar and capillary surface area and the capillary volume of JWM are some 60 percent larger than those of NM. This is achieved by reducing the mean size of alveoli and increasing their number. The harmonic and the arithmetic mean thicknesses of the air-blood barrier are significantly thinner in JWM. Calculation of a hypothetical value of diffusion capacity reveals that it is increased in JWM in rough proportion to the observed level of oxygen consumption.