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In awake rats with indwelling catheters, the development of pulmonary hypertension after feeding Crotalaria spectabilis seeds is followed. Hypoxemia is excluded as a factor. Other hemodynamic changes are found before hypertension. After 7 days, pulmonary artery pressure (Ppa) is normal, 17.17 +/- 0.30 (SE) mmHg and from 14 days significantly increased (P < 0.01). Oxygen consumption (Vo2) is significantly increased by day 7 (control 22.72 +/- 2.13 ml . min-1 . kg-1; Crotalaria 42.47 +/- 2.95; P < 0.001). and cardiac index (CI) is significantly above normal after 7, 14, and 21 days (control 350 +/- 31 ml . min-1 . kg-1; 7 days Crotalaria 476 +/- 28; P < 0.02); pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) increases to six times normal at day 33 (control 0.033 +/- 0.003 U/kg; 33 days Crotalaria 0.194 +/- 0.020; P < 0.001). The pulmonary arteries of these same rats were studied by quantitative morphometric techniques. The first change, muscle in smaller and more peripheral arteries than normal, is detected when Vo2 and CI are increased. Increased medial thickness of arteries < 200 micrometer diameter follows with Ppa rises. Even later, the larger arteries increase their media as the number of peripheral arteries falls and right ventricular hypertrophy becomes apparent, and hypertension and increased PVR are well established.
Meyrick et al. (Sat,) studied this question.