ABSTRACT. Although smooth muscle is abundant in the PVR decreases dramatically when ventilation is initiated at pulmonary vessels of young animals at birth, it is not clear birth (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7). This is likely a consequence of mechanical distention if these vessels respond more vigorously to hypoxia than of the lung (1, 2), increased oxygen tension (1, 2), and release of the less muscular vessels of older neonates. To determine dilator PG (2-6). Subsequent decreases in normoxic PVR have the effect of age on the pulmonary vascular response to been well documented in the growing piglet (7) and in other hypoxia during the neonatal period in a single species, we species (2,8,9). In contrast, age-related changes in HPV are less measured the steady-state stimulus-response relationship clear. It has been suggested that the extent of arteriolar muscubetween inspired oxygen tension (200, 50, 30 and 0 mm larization determines the vigor of HPV (10-12). In this case, the Hg) and pulmonary artery pressure-flow curves in isolated newborn animal with its highly muscularized vessels (2, 7, 9, 10) blood perfused lungs from 2-to 4-and 12-to 14-day-old should have a more vigorous hypoxic response than the older lambs. Hypoxic vasoconstriction was attenuated in the animal. Although some studies show an age-dependent decrease younger newborns at an inspired oxygen tension of 50 mm in HPV (8, 13), others report an increase with age (10, 14, 15). Hg, but not at the other oxygen tensions. To determine ifOne possible explanation for these apparently conflicting rethis age-related difference was due to differences in mod-sults is that the vigor of HPV may be influenced by factors other ulation of hypoxic vasoconstriction by cyclooxygenase than vascular muscularization. For instance, there could be ageproducts, we assayed the metabolite of prostacyclin, 6-dependent differences in the modulation of HPV by pulmonary keto-prostaglandin El, in the perfusate and determined the vasodilators. Although vasodilators such as PGI, are released effects of indomethacin (40 pglml) on the hypoxic stimulus-during HPV in both young neonates and mature animals (1 6, response relationship. There was no age-related difference 17), the action and metabolism of various PG may vary with age in perfusate concentration of 6-keto-prostaglandin El, at (18, 19). For example, the vasodilator PGE2 (20) is more slowly any oxygen tension. However, indomethacin reversed the metabolized in the neonate (18). PGD2 is a pulmonary vasodiage-dependent attenuation of hypoxic vasoconstriction at lator in neonatal lambs, but a vasoconstrictor in older animals inspired oxygen tension = 50 mm Hg such that in indo-(21-23). Such differences may be partially responsible for the methacin-treated lungs pulmonary vasomotor tone was variable effects of cyclooxygenase inhibition on the developing higher in 2-to 4-day-old lungs than in 12-to 14-day-old pulmonary vasculature. In the intact pig, meclofenamate inlungs. This marked enhancement of hypoxic reactivity by creased normoxic PV...