Morphological respiratory diffusion capacity of the lungs of ball pythons (Python regius)

This study aims at a functional and morphological characterization of the lung of a boid snake. In particular, we were interested to see if the python's lungs are designed with excess capacity as compared to resting and working oxygen demands. Therefore, the morphological respiratory diffusion capacity of ball pythons (Python regius) was examined following a stereological, hierarchically nested approach. The volume of the respiratory exchange tissue was determined using computed tomography. Tissue compartments were quantified using stereological methods on light microscopic images. The tissue diffusion barrier for oxygen transport was characterized and measured using transmission electron micrographs. We found a significant negative correlation between body mass and the volume of respiratory tissue; the lungs of larger snakes had relatively less respiratory tissue. Therefore, mass-specific respiratory tissue was calculated to exclude effects of body mass. The volume of the lung that contains parenchyma was 11.9 ± 5.0 mm3 g−1. The volume fraction, i.e., the actual pulmonary exchange tissue per lung parenchyma, was 63.22 ± 7.3%; the total respiratory surface was, on average, 0.214 ± 0.129 m2; it was significantly negatively correlated to body mass, with larger snakes having proportionally smaller respiratory surfaces. For the air–blood barrier, a harmonic mean of 0.78 ± 0.05 μm was found, with the epithelial layer representing the thickest part of the barrier. Based on these findings, a median diffusion capacity of the tissue barrier (DtO2DtO2) of 0.69 ± 0.38 ml O2 min−1 mm Hg−1 was calculated. Based on published values for blood oxygen concentration, a total oxygen uptake capacity of 61.16 ml O2 min−1 kg−1 can be assumed. This value exceeds the maximum demand for oxygen in ball pythons by a factor of 12. We conclude that healthy individuals of P. regius possess a considerable spare capacity for tissue oxygen exchange.