Changes in lung mechanics induced by acute isocapnic hypoxia

1977 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 413-419 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. A. Saunders ◽  
M. F. Betts ◽  
L. D. Pengelly ◽  
A. S. Rebuck

We measured lung mechanics in seven healthy males during acute isocapnic hypoxia (PAO2 = 40–50 Torr; PACO2 = 38–42 Torr). Hypoxia was accompanied by increases in total lung capacity (mean increase +/- SD; 0.40 +/- 0.24 liters; P less than 0.005) functional residual capacity (0.34 +/- 0.25 liters; P less than 0.01) and residual volume (0.56 +/- 0.44 liters; P less than 0.02) in all subjects. Specific conductance of the lung decreased during hypoxia (P less than 0.02). The static deflation pressure-volume curve of the lung was shifted upward during hypoxia in all subjects. Resting end-expiratory recoil pressure of the lung was slightly, but not significantly lower during hypoxtic expiratory lung compliance was greater during hypoxia (0.39 +/- 0.04 l/cmH2O) than control measurements (0.31 +/- 0.05 l/cmH2O; P less than 0.005). No change was noted in dynamic lung compliance. All changes in lung mechanics were reversed within three minutes of reoxygenation. We conclude that acute isocapnic hypoxia increases total lung capacity in man and suggest that this may be due to the effect of hypoxia on the airways and pulmonary circulation.

1982 ◽  
Vol 53 (5) ◽  
pp. 1071-1079 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. J. Lamm ◽  
J. R. Hildebrandt ◽  
J. Hildebrandt ◽  
Y. L. Lai

Functional residual capacity (FRC), tidal volume (VT), and frequency (f) were compared in 23 rats while either awake and unrestrained or anesthetized. FRC was determined from gas compression with closed airway inside a cone-shaped body plethysmograph. In the awake state (mean +/- SD), FRC was 1.02 +/- 0.22 ml/100 g, VT was 0.38 +/- 0.06 ml/100 g, and f was 142 +/- 22 breaths/min. During anesthesia, FRC decreased (P less than 0.01) to 52.9% of awake values, VT increased (P less than 0.01) to 147.4%, and f decreased (P less than 0.01) to 71.8%, leaving minute ventilation almost unchanged. An additional seven rats were used to examine postural effects on FRC during anesthesia, and in another seven animals pleural pressure changes were monitored. Dynamic lung compliance (0.80 ml . kg-1 X cmH2O-1) was not altered by anesthesia, but the pressure-volume curve was shifted 6 cmH2O higher. Thoracic compression, followed by a time-dependent effect of volume history, may account for the major change in FRC. The remainder of the decrease in FRC may be due to lower breathing frequency, loss of inspiratory muscle activity, and/or less airway resistance after anesthesia. Peak diaphragmatic electromyogram per unit VT was shown to increase almost linearly with FRC, indicating that diaphragmatic efficiency was decreased as lung volume was elevated. Functional residual capacity (FRC), tidal volume (VT), and frequency (f) were compared in 23 rats while either awake and unrestrained or anesthetized. FRC was determined from gas compression with closed airway inside a cone-shaped body plethysmograph. In the awake state (mean +/- SD), FRC was 1.02 +/- 0.22 ml/100 g, VT was 0.38 +/- 0.06 ml/100 g, and f was 142 +/- 22 breaths/min. During anesthesia, FRC decreased (P less than 0.01) to 52.9% of awake values, VT increased (P less than 0.01) to 147.4%, and f decreased (P less than 0.01) to 71.8%, leaving minute ventilation almost unchanged. An additional seven rats were used to examine postural effects on FRC during anesthesia, and in another seven animals pleural pressure changes were monitored. Dynamic lung compliance (0.80 ml . kg-1 X cmH2O-1) was not altered by anesthesia, but the pressure-volume curve was shifted 6 cmH2O higher. Thoracic compression, followed by a time-dependent effect of volume history, may account for the major change in FRC. The remainder of the decrease in FRC may be due to lower breathing frequency, loss of inspiratory muscle activity, and/or less airway resistance after anesthesia. Peak diaphragmatic electromyogram per unit VT was shown to increase almost linearly with FRC, indicating that diaphragmatic efficiency was decreased as lung volume was elevated. Functional residual capacity (FRC), tidal volume (VT), and frequency (f) were compared in 23 rats while either awake and unrestrained or anesthetized. FRC was determined from gas compression with closed airway inside a cone-shaped body plethysmograph. In the awake state (mean +/- SD), FRC was 1.02 +/- 0.22 ml/100 g, VT was 0.38 +/- 0.06 ml/100 g, and f was 142 +/- 22 breaths/min. During anesthesia, FRC decreased (P less than 0.01) to 52.9% of awake values, VT increased (P less than 0.01) to 147.4%, and f decreased (P less than 0.01) to 71.8%, leaving minute ventilation almost unchanged. An additional seven rats were used to examine postural effects on FRC during anesthesia, and in another seven animals pleural pressure changes were monitored. Dynamic lung compliance (0.80 ml . kg-1 X cmH2O-1) was not altered by anesthesia, but the pressure-volume curve was shifted 6 cmH2O higher. Thoracic compression, followed by a time-dependent effect of volume history, may account for the major change in FRC. The remainder of the decrease in FRC may be due to lower breathing frequency, loss of inspiratory muscle activity, and/or less airway resistance after anesthesia. Peak diaphragmatic electromyogram per unit VT was shown to increase almost linearly with FRC, indicating that diaphragmatic efficiency was decreased as lung volume was elevated. Functional residual capacity (FRC), tidal volume (VT), and frequency (f) were compared in 23 rats while either awake and unrestrained or anesthetized. FRC was determined from gas compression with closed airway inside a cone-shaped body plethysmograph. In the awake state (mean +/- SD), FRC was 1.02 +/- 0.22 ml/100 g, VT was 0.38 +/- 0.06 ml/100 g, and f was 142 +/- 22 breaths/min. During anesthesia, FRC decreased (P less than 0.01) to 52.9% of awake values, VT increased (P less than 0.01) to 147.4%, and f decreased (P less than 0.01) to 71.8%, leaving minute ventilation almost unchanged. An additional seven rats were used to examine postural effects on FRC during anesthesia, and in another seven animals pleural pressure changes were monitored. Dynamic lung compliance (0.80 ml . kg-1 X cmH2O-1) was not altered by anesthesia, but the pressure-volume curve was shifted 6 cmH2O higher. Thoracic compression, followed by a time-dependent effect of volume history, may account for the major change in FRC. The remainder of the decrease in FRC may be due to lower breathing frequency, loss of inspiratory muscle activity, and/or less airway resistance after anesthesia. Peak diaphragmatic electromyogram per unit VT was shown to increase almost linearly with FRC, indicating that diaphragmatic efficiency was decreased as lung volume was elevated.


1979 ◽  
Vol 46 (5) ◽  
pp. 927-931 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. L. Lai

Lung volumes and respiratory pressures were measured in anesthetized male hamsters weighing an average 117 g. In 16 supine animals functional residual capacity (FRC) determined by body plethysmograph was 1.12 +/- 0.23 (SD) ml (about 20% total lung capacity, TLC) slightly and significantly larger than the FRC measured by saline displacement, 1.01 +/- 0.15 ml. Similar results were found in six prone animals. Paralysis did not significantly alter supine FRC. Contrary to published reports, pleural pressure (Ppl) estimated from esophageal pressure was negative at FRC. The fact that lung volume decreased by 0.2 ml (about 4% TLC) when the chest was opened at FRC provided additional evidence of negative Ppl at FRC. No consistent changes in the lung pressure-volume curve were found after the chest was opened. Deflation chest wall compliance just above FRC was about twice lung compliance. The vital capacity and reserve volumes in this study agreed with values reported in the literature. However, absolute lung volumes (TLC, FRC, and residual volume) were lower by about 1.4 ml, possibly because of earlier overestimates of box FRC.


1982 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 832-837 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Vinegar ◽  
E. E. Sinnett ◽  
P. C. Kosch

The ferret, Mustela putorius furo, is a small relatively inexpensive carnivore with minimal housing requirements. Measurements were made from anesthetized tracheotomized supine males. Values obtained during tidal breathing for six animals (576 +/- 12 g) were as follows: tidal volume, 6.06 +/- 0.30 ml; respiratory frequency, 26.7 +/- 3.9 breaths min-1; dynamic lung compliance, 2.48 +/- 0.21 ml cmH2O-1; pulmonary resistance, 22.56 +/- 1.61 cmH2O . l–1 . s. Pressure-volume curves from nine ferrets revealed almost infinitely compliant chest walls so that lung and total respiratory system curves were essentially the same. Total lung capacity (TLC, 89 +/- 5 ml) and functional residual capacity (17.8 +/- 2.0 ml) were determined by gas freeing the lungs in vivo. The TLC of these ferrets is about the same as in 2.5-kg rabbits. Maximum expiratory flow-volume curves showed peak flows of 10.1 vital capacities (VC) . s-1 at 75% VC and flows of 8.4 and 5.4 VC . s-1 at 50 and 25% VC.


PEDIATRICS ◽  
1959 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-193
Author(s):  
C. D. Cook ◽  
P. J. Helliesen ◽  
L. Kulczycki ◽  
H. Barrie ◽  
L. Friedlander ◽  
...  

Tidal volume, respiratory rate and lung volumes have been measured in 64 patients with cystic fibrosis of the pancreas while lung compliance and resistance were measured in 42 of these. Serial studies of lung volumes were done in 43. Tidal volume was reduced and the respiratory rate increased only in the most severely ill patients. Excluding the three patients with lobectomies, residual volume and functional residual capacity were found to be significantly increased in 46 and 21%, respectively. These changes correlated well with the roentgenographic evaluation of emphysema. Vital capacity was significantly reduced in 34% while total lung capacity was, on the average, relatively unchanged. Seventy per cent of the 61 patients had a signficantly elevated RV/TLC ratio. Lung compliance was significantly reduced in only the most severely ill patients but resistance was significantly increased in 35% of the patients studied. The serial studies of lung volumes showed no consistent trends among the groups of patients in the period between studies. However, 10% of the surviving patients showed evidence of significant improvement while 15% deteriorated. [See Fig. 8. in Source Pdf.] Although there were individual discrepancies, there was a definite correlation between the clinical evaluation and tests of respiratory function, especially the changes in residual volume, the vital capacity, RV/ TLC ratio and the lung compliance and resistance.


1985 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 528-533 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. P. Mortola ◽  
D. Magnante ◽  
M. Saetta

The passive mechanical time constant (tau pass) of the respiratory system is relatively similar among newborn mammalian species, approximately 0.15–0.2 s. However, breathing rate (f) is higher in smaller species than larger species in order to accommodate the relatively larger metabolic demands. Since tidal volume per kilogram is an interspecies constant, in the fastest breathing species the short expiratory time should determine a substantial dynamic elevation of the functional residual capacity (FRC). We examined the possibility of a difference in expiratory time constant between dynamic and passive conditions by analyzing the expiratory flow pattern of nine newborn unanesthetized species during resting breathing. In most newborns the late portion of the expiratory flow-volume curve was linear, suggesting muscle relaxation. The slope of the curve, which represents the dynamic expiratory time constant of the respiratory system (tau exp), varied considerably among animals (from 0.1 to 0.7 s), being directly related to the inspiratory time and inversely proportional to f. In relatively slow-breathing newborns, such as infants and piglets, tau exp is longer than tau pass most likely due to an increase in the expiratory laryngeal resistance and FRC is substantially elevated. On the contrary, in the fastest breathing newborns (such as rats and mice) tau exp is similar or even less than tau pass, because at these high rates dynamic lung compliance is lower than its passive value and the dynamic elevation of FRC is small. In dynamic conditions, therefore, the product of tau exp and f is maintained within narrow limits.


1983 ◽  
Vol 54 (5) ◽  
pp. 1229-1235 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. P. Mortola

Static and dynamic properties of the respiratory system have been studied in anesthetized, tracheostomized newborns of six species, ranging in size from rats to piglets. Respiratory system compliance (Crs), total resistance of respiratory system (Rrs), and expiratory time constant (tau) have been measured in the paralyzed passively ventilated animals. Crs is found to be proportional to body weight (BW0.80) and Rrs to BW-0.75; tau is independent of body size, the shortest value being in kittens and guinea pigs and a value of about 0.14 s in the other species. Including the upper airway resistance, tau becomes approximately 0.22 s. This value is similar to the expiratory time of the fastest breathing species; therefore in the smallest species the high breathing rate can be regarded as a mechanism to raise end-expiratory level. On a few occasions, dynamic lung compliance and pulmonary resistance, measured in spontaneously breathing kittens, puppies, and piglets were, respectively, smaller and larger than Crs and Rrs, suggesting that the hysteresis of the pressure-volume curve may be substantial. Rrs was almost linear within the volume and flow range investigated, with the Rohrer's constant K2 always being less than 2.5% of K1. The Reynolds number increases with body size (alpha BW0.51) more than is predictable from the changes in tracheal diameter, since the tracheal flow velocity is not an interspecific constant.


2008 ◽  
Vol 295 (2) ◽  
pp. L356-L362 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M. Bishai ◽  
Wayne Mitzner

There is a body of literature in animal models that has suggested the development of emphysema following severe calorie restriction. This has led to the notion of “nutritional emphysema” that might have relevance in COPD patients. There have been few studies, however, that have looked closely at both the mechanics and lung structure in the same animals. In the present work, we examined lung mechanics and histological changes in two strains of mice that have substantial differences in alveolar size, the C57BL/6 and C3H/HeJ strains. We quantified the dynamic elastance and resistance at 2.5 Hz, the quasistatic pressure volume curve, and the alveolar chord lengths in lungs inflated to a lung capacity at 25–30 cmH2O. We found that after 2 or 3 wk of calorie restriction to 1/3 their normal diet, the lungs became stiffer with increased resistance. In addition, the lung capacity was also decreased. These mechanical changes were reversed after 2 wk on a normal ad libitum diet. Histology of the postmortem fixed lungs showed no changes in the mean alveolar chord lengths with calorie restriction. Although the baseline mechanics and alveolar size were quantitatively different in the two strains, both strains showed similar qualitative changes during the starvation and refeeding periods. Thus, in two strains of mice with genetically determined differences in alveolar size, neither the mechanics nor the histology show any evidence of emphysema-like changes with this severe caloric insult.


1983 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 576-581 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Berend ◽  
K. L. Christopher ◽  
N. F. Voelkel

To determine whether breathing a mixture of 80% He-20% O2 affects the lung pressure-volume (PV) curve, eight anesthetized paralyzed dogs were studied in a volume-displacement plethysmograph. Static PV curves on air were compared with PV curves obtained after equilibration with He-O2. The He-O2 PV curves were significantly shifted upward by an average of 5% total lung capacity. There was no change in compliance, indicating that the shift was due to lung expansion rather than a change in elasticity. Pretreatment of the dogs with cyclooxygenase inhibitors abolished the PV shift with He-O2. Four dogs had PV curves recorded on air and a mixture of O2, SF6, and Ne, a gas mixture with the same density as air but with 45% greater viscosity. The PV curve shift was even greater than observed with He-O2 and could again be virtually abolished with a cyclooxygenase inhibitor. These results suggest that breathing a high-viscosity gas mixture results in alveolar duct dilatation due to the release of a prostaglandin bronchodilator. This may need to be taken into account in the analysis of flow augmentation with He-O2.


1981 ◽  
Vol 51 (5) ◽  
pp. 1115-1121 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Scheidt ◽  
R. E. Hyatt ◽  
K. Rehder

The effects on lung mechanics of equal (37%) reduction in total lung capacity (TLC) by rib cage or abdominal restriction were studied in 10 healthy males. Lung recoil pressure (Pst) was simultaneously measured from three sites in the esophagus. This also provided an estimate of the vertical pleural pressure gradient (PPG). Deformation of the right hemithorax was quantified by roentgenograms in three subjects. At the same lung volume, abdominal restriction decreased lung height and increased anteroposterior diameter compared with the control case, whereas rib cage restriction had opposite effects. Maximum expiratory flow increased equally with both types of restriction, and average Pst increased equally with both types of restriction. There was a significant correlation between degree of TLC reduction and increase in Pst that was similar for both types of restriction. This study indicates that changes in lung mechanics depend primarily on the amount of volume reduction and not on the type of deformation producing the volume decrease.


2002 ◽  
Vol 93 (3) ◽  
pp. 1023-1029 ◽  
Author(s):  
George P. Topulos ◽  
Richard E. Brown ◽  
James P. Butler

Increased surface tension is an important component of several respiratory diseases, but its effects on pulmonary capillary mechanics are incompletely understood. We measured capillary volume and specific compliance before and after increasing surface tension with nebulized siloxane in excised dog lungs. The change in surface tension was sufficient to increase lung recoil 5 cmH2O at 50% total lung capacity. Increased surface tension decreased both capillary volume and specific compliance. The changes in capillary volume and compliance were greatest at the lung volumes at which the surface tension change was greatest. Near functional residual capacity, capillary volume postsiloxane was ∼30% of control. Presiloxane capillary specific compliance was ∼7%/cmH2O near functional residual capacity and ∼2.5%/cmH2O near total lung capacity. Postsiloxane capillary-specific compliance was 3%/cmH2O, and was independent of lung volume. We conclude that in addition to their well-known effects on lung mechanics, changes in surface tension also have important effects on capillary mechanics. We speculate that these changes may in turn affect ventilation and perfusion, worsen gas exchange, and alter leukocyte sequestration.


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