Long-term facilitation of ventilation and genioglossus muscle activity is evident in the presence of elevated levels of carbon dioxide in awake humans

2006 ◽  
Vol 291 (4) ◽  
pp. R1111-R1119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel P. Harris ◽  
Arvind Balasubramaniam ◽  
M. Safwan Badr ◽  
Jason H. Mateika

We hypothesized that long-term facilitation (LTF) of minute ventilation and peak genioglossus muscle activity manifests itself in awake healthy humans when carbon dioxide is sustained at elevated levels. Eleven subjects completed two trials. During trial 1, baseline carbon dioxide levels were maintained during and after exposure to eight 4-min episodes of hypoxia. During trial 2, carbon dioxide was sustained 5 mmHg above baseline levels during exposure to episodic hypoxia. Seven subjects were exposed to sustained elevated levels of carbon dioxide in the absence of episodic hypoxia, which served as a control experiment. Minute ventilation was measured during trial 1, trial 2, and the control experiment. Peak genioglossus muscle activity was measured during trial 2. Minute ventilation during the recovery period of trial 1 was similar to baseline (9.3 ± 0.5 vs. 9.2 ± 0.7 l/min). Likewise, minute ventilation remained unchanged during the control experiment (beginning vs. end of control experiment, 14.4 ± 1.7 vs. 14.7 ± 1.4 l/min). In contrast, minute ventilation and peak genioglossus muscle activity during the recovery period of trial 2 was greater than baseline (minute ventilation: 28.4 ± 1.7 vs. 19.6 ± 1.0 l/min, P < 0.001; peak genioglossus activity: 1.6 ± 0.3 vs. 1.0 fraction of baseline, P < 0.001). We conclude that exposure to episodic hypoxia is necessary to induce LTF of minute ventilation and peak genioglossus muscle activity and that LTF is only evident in awake humans in the presence of sustained elevated levels of carbon dioxide.

2010 ◽  
Vol 108 (2) ◽  
pp. 369-377 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susmita Chowdhuri ◽  
Irina Shanidze ◽  
Lisa Pierchala ◽  
Daniel Belen ◽  
Jason H. Mateika ◽  
...  

We hypothesized that episodic hypoxia (EH) leads to alterations in chemoreflex characteristics that might promote the development of central apnea in sleeping humans. We used nasal noninvasive positive pressure mechanical ventilation to induce hypocapnic central apnea in 11 healthy participants during stable nonrapid eye movement sleep before and after an exposure to EH, which consisted of fifteen 1-min episodes of isocapnic hypoxia (mean O2 saturation/episode: 87.0 ± 0.5%). The apneic threshold (AT) was defined as the absolute measured end-tidal Pco2 (PetCO2) demarcating the central apnea. The difference between the AT and baseline PetCO2 measured immediately before the onset of mechanical ventilation was defined as the CO2 reserve. The change in minute ventilation (V̇I) for a change in PetCO2 (ΔV̇I/ ΔPetCO2) was defined as the hypocapnic ventilatory response. We studied the eupneic PetCO2, AT PetCO2, CO2 reserve, and hypocapnic ventilatory response before and after the exposure to EH. We also measured the hypoxic ventilatory response, defined as the change in V̇I for a corresponding change in arterial O2 saturation (ΔV̇I/ΔSaO2) during the EH trials. V̇I increased from 6.2 ± 0.4 l/min during the pre-EH control to 7.9 ± 0.5 l/min during EH and remained elevated at 6.7 ± 0.4 l/min the during post-EH recovery period ( P < 0.05), indicative of long-term facilitation. The AT was unchanged after EH, but the CO2 reserve declined significantly from −3.1 ± 0.5 mmHg pre-EH to −2.3 ± 0.4 mmHg post-EH ( P < 0.001). In the post-EH recovery period, ΔV̇I/ΔPetCO2 was higher compared with the baseline (3.3 ± 0.6 vs. 1.8 ± 0.3 l·min−1·mmHg−1, P < 0.001), indicative of an increased hypocapnic ventilatory response. However, there was no significant change in the hypoxic ventilatory response (ΔV̇I/ΔSaO2) during the EH period itself. In conclusion, despite the presence of ventilatory long-term facilitation, the increase in the hypocapnic ventilatory response after the exposure to EH induced a significant decrease in the CO2 reserve. This form of respiratory plasticity may destabilize breathing and promote central apneas.


2002 ◽  
Vol 92 (6) ◽  
pp. 2565-2570 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahdi Shkoukani ◽  
Mark A. Babcock ◽  
M. Safwan Badr

We hypothesized that long-term facilitation (LTF) is due to decreased upper airway resistance (Rua). We studied 11 normal subjects during stable non-rapid eye movement sleep. We induced brief isocapnic hypoxia (inspired O2fraction = 8%) (3 min) followed by 5 min of room air. This sequence was repeated 10 times. Measurements were obtained during control, hypoxia, and at 20 min of recovery (R20) for ventilation, timing, and Rua. In addition, nine subjects were studied in a sham study with no hypoxic exposure. During the episodic hypoxia study, inspiratory minute ventilation (V˙i) increased from 7.1 ± 1.8 l/min during the control period to 8.3 ± 1.8 l/min at R20 (117% of control; P < 0.05). Conversely, there was no change in diaphragmatic electromyogram (EMGdia) between control (16.1 ± 6.9 arbitrary units) and R20 (15.3 ± 4.9 arbitrary units) (95% of control; P > 0.05). In contrast, increasedV˙i was associated with decreased Rua from 10.7 ± 7.5 cmH2O · l−1 · s during control to 8.2 ± 4.4 cmH2O · l−1 · s at R20 (77% of control; P < 0.05). No change was noted in V˙i, Rua, or EMGdia during the recovery period relative to control during the sham study. We conclude the following: 1) increased V˙i in the recovery period is indicative of LTF, 2) the lack of increased EMGdia suggests lack of LTF to the diaphragm, 3) reduced Rua suggests LTF of upper airway dilators, and 4) increased V˙i in the recovery period is due to “unloading” of the upper airway by LTF of upper airway dilators.


2015 ◽  
Vol 119 (10) ◽  
pp. 1088-1096 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susmita Chowdhuri ◽  
Sukanya Pranathiageswaran ◽  
Rene Franco-Elizondo ◽  
Arunima Jayakar ◽  
Arwa Hosni ◽  
...  

The reason for increased sleep-disordered breathing with a predominance of central apneas in the elderly is unknown. We speculate that ventilatory control instability may provide a link between aging and the onset of unstable breathing during sleep. We sought to investigate potential underlying mechanisms in healthy, elderly adults during sleep. We hypothesized that there is 1) a decline in respiratory plasticity or long-term facilitation (LTF) of ventilation and/or 2) increased ventilatory chemosensitivity in older adults during non-, this should be hyphenated, non-rapid rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. Fourteen elderly adults underwent 15, 1-min episodes of isocapnic hypoxia (EH), nadir O2saturation: 87.0 ± 0.8%. Measurements were obtained during control, hypoxia, and up to 20 min of recovery following the EH protocol, respectively, for minute ventilation (VI), timing, and inspiratory upper-airway resistances (RUA). The results showed the following. 1) Compared with baseline, there was a significant increase in VI(158 ± 11%, P < 0.05) during EH, but this was not accompanied by augmentation of VIduring the successive hypoxia trials nor in VIduring the recovery period (94.4 ± 3.5%, P = not significant), indicating an absence of LTF. There was no change in inspiratory RUAduring the trials. This is in contrast to our previous findings of respiratory plasticity in young adults during sleep. Sham studies did not show a change in any of the measured parameters. 2) We observed increased chemosensitivity with increased isocapnic hypoxic ventilatory response and hyperoxic suppression of VIin older vs. young adults during NREM sleep. Thus increased chemosensitivity, unconstrained by respiratory plasticity, may explain increased periodic breathing and central apneas in elderly adults during NREM sleep.


2003 ◽  
Vol 94 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Babcock ◽  
Mahdi Shkoukani ◽  
Salah E. Aboubakr ◽  
M. Safwan Badr

Long-term facilitation (LTF) is a prolonged increase in ventilatory motor output after episodic peripheral chemoreceptor stimulation. We have previously shown that LTF is activated during sleep following repetitive hypoxia in snorers (Babcock MA and Badr MS. Sleep 21: 709–716, 1998). The purpose of this study was 1) to ascertain the relative contribution of inspiratory flow limitation to the development of LTF and 2) to determine the effect of eliminating inspiratory flow limitation by nasal CPAP on LTF. We studied 25 normal subjects during stable non-rapid eye movement sleep. We induced 10 episodes of brief repetitive isocapnic hypoxia (inspired O2 fraction = 8%; 3 min) followed by 5 min of room air. Measurements were obtained during control and at 20 min of recovery (R20). During the episodic hypoxia study, inspiratory minute ventilation (V˙i) increased from 6.7 ± 1.9 l/min during the control period to 8.2 ± 2.7 l/min at R20 (122% of control; P < 0.05). Linear regression analysis confirmed that inspiratory flow limitation during control was the only independent determinant of the presence of LTF ( P = 0.005). Six subjects were restudied by using nasal continuous positive airway pressure to ascertain the effect of eliminating inspiratory flow limitation on LTF.V˙i during the recovery period was 97 ± 10% ( P > 0.05). In conclusion, 1) repetitive hypoxia in sleeping humans is followed by increasedV˙i in the recovery period, indicative of development of LTF; 2) inspiratory flow limitation is the only independent determinant of posthypoxic LTF in sleeping human; 3) elimination of inspiratory flow limitation abolished the ventilatory manifestations of LTF; and 4) we propose that increased V˙i in the recovery period was a result of preferential recruitment of upper airway dilators by repetitive hypoxia.


2008 ◽  
Vol 104 (6) ◽  
pp. 1625-1633 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harpreet Wadhwa ◽  
Ciprian Gradinaru ◽  
Gregory J. Gates ◽  
M. Safwan Badr ◽  
Jason H. Mateika

Following exposure to intermittent hypoxia, respiratory motor activity and sympathetic nervous system activity may persist above baseline levels for over an hour. The present investigation was designed to determine whether sustained increases in minute ventilation and sympathovagal (S/V) balance, in addition to sustained depression of parasympathetic nervous system activity (PNSA), were greater in men compared with women following exposure to intermittent hypoxia. Fifteen healthy men and women matched for age, race, and body mass index were exposed to eight 4-min episodes of hypoxia during sustained hypercapnia followed by a 15-min end-recovery period. The magnitude of the increase in minute ventilation during the end-recovery period, compared with baseline, was similar in men and women (men, 1.52 ± 0.03; women, 1.57 ± 0.02 fraction of baseline; P < 0.0001). In contrast, depression of PNSA and increases in S/V balance were evident during the end-recovery period, compared with baseline, in men (PNSA, 0.66 ± 0.06 fraction of baseline, P < 0.0001; S/V balance, 2.8 ± 0.7 fraction of baseline, P < 0.03) but not in women (PNSA, 1.27 ± 0.19 fraction of baseline, P = 0.3; S/V balance, 1.8 ± 0.6 fraction of baseline, P = 0.2). We conclude that a sustained increase in minute ventilation, which is indicative of long-term facilitation, is evident in both men and women following exposure to intermittent hypoxia and that this response is independent of sex. In contrast, sustained alterations in autonomic nervous system activity were evident in men but not in women.


2002 ◽  
Vol 93 (6) ◽  
pp. 2155-2161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle McGuire ◽  
Yi Zhang ◽  
David P. White ◽  
Liming Ling

Episodic hypoxia induces a persistent augmentation of respiratory activity, termed long-term facilitation (LTF). Phrenic LTF saturates in anesthetized animals such that additional episodes of stimulation cause no further increase in LTF magnitude. The present study tested the hypothesis that 1) ventilatory LTF also saturates in awake rats and 2) more severe hypoxia and hypoxic episodes increase the effectiveness of eliciting ventilatory LTF. Minute ventilation was measured in awake, male Sprague-Dawley rats by plethysmography. LTF was elicited by five episodes of 10% O2 poikilocapnic hypoxia (magnitude: 17.3 ± 2.8% above baseline, between 15 and 45 min posthypoxia, duration: 45 min) but not 12 or 8% O2. LTF was also elicited by 10, 20, and 72 episodes of 12% O2(19.1 ± 2.2, 18.9 ± 1.8, and 19.8 ± 1.6%; 45, 60, and 75 min, respectively) but not by three or five episodes. These results show that there is a certain range of hypoxia that induces ventilatory LTF and that additional hypoxic episodes may increase the duration but not the magnitude of this response.


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