Northbrook (ddp). The abdominal cavity can support the lung breathing, showed American researchers: will the cavity is filled with a liquid oxygen rich, exactly the gas exchange takes place on the fine vessels of the peritoneum, which is reserved for otherwise the alveoli. In this way blood can add independent oxygen from the lungs, so that injured or weakened by disease lungs be relieved. Tested, researchers have the procedure so far but only on pigs. Should the method but also in humans prove, it could be a less burdensome alternative to the previously used artificial respiration, believe the scientists from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia to Joseph Friedberg. Make their way in the journal «Chest» before (vol. 130, no. 2). The belly cavity breathing works the same way as the so-called abdominal skin dialysis, which is used in some patients with renal failure. This thin blood vessels of peritoneum are used as a type spare kidney, which carries toxins and electrolytes of the blood in the abdominal cavity fluid-filled. Similarly Friedberg and his colleagues were now the peritoneum as a spare lung: artificially lowered off the oxygen in the blood of their test pigs and their Bauchhöhlen then filled with a liquid oxygen rich. This, they used so-called perfluorinated hydrocarbons, which can include gases such as oxygen and carbon dioxide in large quantities, but after today’s knowledge are non-toxic to the body. In this way succeeded the researchers, the oxygen in the blood of pigs originally 73 percent of the maximum capacity to 89 percent and thus almost to increase to the its 90 percent. Thus shown that method basically works and simple, investigator says Friedberg. Next want to he and his team now test how to optimize the exchange of oxygen and whether a long-term application complications occur. Should these experiments is also positive in due time, could be trying to transfer the method to the people. Friedberg believed that particularly patients with a reversible pulmonary damage occurs as an embolism, pneumonia or an acute lung failure, could benefit from the abdominal cavity respiratory. Currently will tried in such cases usually to bring the missing oxygen by artificial ventilation, says the researcher. This could however exacerbate the condition of the lungs and even exacerbate the lack of oxygen. The ventral fur respiratory allow, however, shut down the lung for a while and give her the opportunity, through fully.