The interrupter method for measuring respiratory system resistance involves interrupting flow at the airway opening and measuring the resultant changes in pressure. We have recently shown (J. Appl. Physiol. 65: 408-414, 1988) that in open-chest mongrel dogs, under control conditions, the initial rapid pressure change (delta Pinit) reflects conducting airway resistance and the subsequent gradual pressure change (delta Pdif) reflects stress recovery of the tissues. We questioned whether the same interpretation would apply after induced constriction. Accordingly, we performed interruption experiments on anesthetized, paralyzed, tracheostomized, open-chest mongrel dogs during passive expiration, measuring pressure at the trachea and in three different alveolar regions with alveolar capsules. We recorded measurements before and after the administration of increasing concentrations of histamine aerosol (0.1-30.0 mg/ml). We found a significant increase in the heterogeneity of alveolar pressures during the relaxed expiration with increasing concentrations of histamine. Despite the introduction of significant mechanical heterogeneities, delta Pinit still reflected the pressure drop as the result of the resistance of the conducting airways. delta Pdif, however, reflected a combination of the stress recovery of the tissues and pendelluft.