[Structural interrelations of the air-blood barrier and terminal sections of the lymphatic link in the pulmonary microcirculatory bed in chronic hypervolemia].

The interalveolar septa of the human lungs are known to have no lymphatic capillaries. The topography of the pulmonary lymphatic system origin under conditions of chronic hypervolemia is still not investigated. Lungs of 24 corpses of persons, died from non-pulmonary pathology (control) and lungs of 34 corpses of persons, died from congenital and acquired heart disease accompanied with pre- and postcapillary forms of the pulmonary circulation hypertension, have been investigated. Decreased efficiency of the microcirculation, increased permeability of the blood capillary walls against the background of hypoxia result in an elevated production of lymph. Intensified collagen formation in the blood vessel walls and in the interalveolar septa is the prerequisite for reorganization of the pulmonary lymphatic bed. Lymphatic capillaries are found to grow into some sclerotic interalveolar septa and into deep structures of the blood capillary walls. This demonstrates a high plasticity of the lymphatic link terminal parts of the microcirculatory bed in pathologically changed lungs.