Altered pulmonary hemodynamics following experimental decompression sickness
Altered pulmonary hemodynamics following experimental decompression sickness
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Altered pulmonary hemodynamics following experimental decompression sickness
Biological reactions interfering with blood flow through pulmonary microcirculation
Acceleration effects on regional distribution of pulmonary blood flow and associated disturbances in ventilation/perfusion ratios in humans and dogs
Pulmonary isotopic scanning technique in dog to assess embolism before and after lethal decompression
The simplified Bernoulli equation relates fluid convective energy derived from flow velocities to a pressure gradient and is commonly used in clinical echocardiography to determine pressure differences across stenotic orifices. Its application to pulmonary venous flow has not been described in humans. Twelve patients undergoing cardiac surgery had simultaneous high-fidelity pulmonary venous and left atrial pressure measurements and pulmonary venous pulsed Doppler echocardiography performed. Convective gradients for the systolic (S), diastolic (D), and atrial reversal (AR) phases of pulmonary venous flow were determined using the simplified Bernoulli equation and correlated with measured actual pressure differences. A linear relationship was observed between the convective (y) and actual (x) pressure differences for the S (y = 0.23x + 0.0074, r = 0.82) and D (y = 0.22x + 0.092, r = 0.81) waves, but not for the AR wave (y = 0. 030x + 0.13, r = 0.10). Numerical modeling resulted in similar slopes for the S (y = 0.200x - 0.127, r = 0.97), D (y = 0.247x - 0. 354, r = 0.99), and AR (y = 0.087x - 0.083, r = 0.96) waves. Consistent with numerical modeling, the convective term strongly correlates with but significantly underestimates actual gradient because of large inertial forces.
The aim of the study was to validate a nonradioactive method for relative blood flow measurements in severely injured lungs that avoids labor-intensive tissue processing. The use of fluorescent-labeled microspheres was compared with the standard radiolabeled-microsphere method. In seven sheep, lung injury was established by using oleic acid. Five pairs of radio- and fluorescent-labeled microspheres were injected before and after established lung injury. Across all animals, 175 pieces were selected randomly. The radioactivity of each piece was determined by using a scintillation counter. The fluorescent dye was extracted from each piece with a solvent without digestion or filtering. The fluorescence was determined with an automated fluorescent spectrophotometer. Perfusion was calculated for each piece from both the radioactivity and fluorescence and volume normalized. Correlations between flow determined by the two methods were in the range from 0.987 +/- 0.007 (SD) to 0.991 +/- 0.002 (SD) after 9 days of soaking. Thus the fluorescent microsphere technique is a valuable tool for investigating regional perfusion in severely injured lungs and can replace radioactivity.
Cardiopulmonary responses to acute hypoxia (HY), fluid loading by saline infusion (FL), and head-down tilt (HD) of mechanically ventilated anesthetized dogs were investigated by measuring thermodynamics and pulmonary gas exchange. It was found that HD decreased the total respiratory compliance both during HY and normoxia (NO) and that the reduction in compliance by FL was twice as large as by HD. Superimposing HD on HY doubled the increase in vascular resistance due to HY alone. In the systemic circulation, HD lowered the resistance to below NO levels. There was a significant positive correlation between the changes in blood volume and in pulmonary artery pressure for experimental transitions, suggesting that a shift in blood volume from systemic to pulmonary circulations and changes in the total blood volume may contribute substantially to these apparent changes in resistance.
The lung is exquisitely sensitive to gravity, and so it is of interest to know how its function is altered in the weightlessness of space. Studies on National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Spacelabs during the last 4 years have provided the first comprehensive data on the extensive changes in pulmonary function that occur in sustained microgravity. Measurements of pulmonary function were made on astronauts during space shuttle flights lasting 9 and 14 days and were compared with extensive ground-based measurements before and after the flights. Compared with preflight measurements, cardiac output increased by 18% during space flight, and stroke volume increased by 46%. Paradoxically, the increase in stroke volume occurred in the face of reductions in central venous pressure and circulating blood volume. Diffusing capacity increased by 28%, and the increase in the diffusing capacity of the alveolar membrane was unexpectedly large based on findings in normal gravity. The change in the alveolar membrane may reflect the effects of uniform filling of the pulmonary capillary bed. Distributions of blood flow and ventilation throughout the lung were more uniform in space, but some unevenness remained, indicating the importance of nongravitational factors. A surprising finding was that airway closing volume was approximately the same in microgravity and in normal gravity, emphasizing the importance of mechanical properties of the airways in determining whether they close. Residual volume was unexpectedly reduced by 18% in microgravity, possibly because of uniform alveolar expansion. The findings indicate that pulmonary function is greatly altered in microgravity, but none of the changes observed so far will apparently limit long-term space flight. In addition, the data help to clarify how gravity affects pulmonary function in the normal gravity environment on Earth.
Sympathotonic orthostatic hypotension (SOH) is an idiopathic syndrome characterized by tachycardia, hypotension, elevated plasma norepinephrine, and symptoms of orthostatic intolerance provoked by assumption of an upright posture. We studied a woman with severe progressive SOH with blood pressure unresponsive to the pressor effects of alpha(1)-adrenergic receptor (AR) agonists. We tested the hypothesis that a circulating factor in this patient interferes with vascular adrenergic neurotransmission. Preincubation of porcine pulmonary artery vessel rings with patient plasma produced a dose-dependent inhibition of vasoconstriction to phenylephrine in vitro, abolished vasoconstriction to direct electrical stimulation, and had no effect on nonadrenergic vasoconstrictive stimuli (endothelin-1), PGF-2alpha (or KCl). Preincubation of vessels with control plasma was devoid of these effects. SOH plasma inhibited the binding of an alpha(1)-selective antagonist radioligand ([(125)I]HEAT) to membrane fractions derived from porcine pulmonary artery vessel rings, rat liver, and cell lines selectively overexpressing human ARs of the alpha(1B) subtype but not other AR subtypes (alpha(1A) and alpha(1D)). We conclude that a factor in SOH plasma can selectively and irreversibly inhibit adrenergic ligand binding to alpha(1B) ARs. We propose that this factor contributes to a novel pathogenesis for SOH in this patient. This patient's syndrome represents a new disease entity, and her plasma may provide a unique tool for probing the selective functions of alpha(1)-ARs.
Methylamine (MA), a component of serum and a metabolite of nicotine and certain insecticides and herbicides, is metabolized by semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase (SSAO). MA is toxic to cultured human umbilical vein and calf pulmonary artery endothelial cells. Endothelial cells, which do not exhibit endogenous SSAO activity, are exposed to SSAO circulating in serum. In contrast, vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) do exhibit innate SSAO activity both in vivo and in vitro. This property, together with the critical localization of VSMC within the arterial wall, led us to investigate the potential toxicity of MA to VSMC. Cultured rat VSMC were treated with MA (10-5 to 1 M). In some cultures, SSAO was selectively inhibited with semicarbazide or MDL-72145 [(E)-2-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-3-fluoroallylamine]. Cytotoxicity was measured via MTT, vital dye exclusion, and clonogenic assays. MA proved to be toxic to VSMC only at relatively high concentrations (LC(50) of 0.1 M). The inhibition of SSAO with semicarbazide or MDL-72145 did not increase MA toxicity, suggesting that the production of formaldehyde via tissue-bound, SSAO-mediated MA metabolism does not play a role in the minimal toxicity observed in isolated rat VSMC. The omission of fetal calf serum (FCS), which contains high SSAO activity, from media similarly showed little effect on cytotoxicity. We conclude that VSMC--in contrast to previous results in endothelial cells--are relatively resistant to MA toxicity, and SSAO does not play a role in VSMC injury by MA.
A Spacelab experiment is described which proposes to obtain data on the degree of engorgement of the cephalad circulation during weightlessness by recording central venous pressure. Of practical importance is the question of how close the astronauts are to pulmonary edema and whether the pressure falls toward normal during the time of the mission. Another experiment to investigate deviations from normal fluid and mineral metabolism, possibly initiated by the central engorgement of the low pressure system, is discussed. Hormones responsible for the control of water and mineral balance (vasopressin, catecholamines, renin, aldosterone, corticosteroids, and prostaglandin E1) will be analyzed from blood samples.
Breath-by-breath measurements of pulmonary capillary O2 transfer and ventilation with a box-balloon spirometer and mass spectrometer were made on 3 subjects before, during and after 10 min of lower body negative pressure (LBNP) at -20, -40 and -60 Torr with arterial samples at -60 Torr. Deficits in blood O2 stores (O2B) were noted during LBNP with repayment of O2B during recovery being related to the intensity of LBNP stress. Concurrent calf volume, measured with a Hg strain gauge, decreased towards baseline well before the peak rise in pulmonary capillary O2 transfer after the release of LBNP which signified that O2B changes were related to blood volume shifts. The return of O2-depleted pooled blood to the central circulation during the first min. of recovery caused significant stress-related hyperpnea which peaked near 30 sec. and returned to near baseline after the first min. Three-compartment lung model analyses indicated an increase in the ventilated unperfused lung fraction from 0.09 to 0.17 with the effective compartment decreasing from 0.83 to 0.77. It appears that the 30% increase in ventilation equivalent was primarily the result of less effective lung perfusion during the LBNP.
We have developed a minimally invasive technique for studying regional blood flow in conscious sheep, bypassing the complications of open-chest surgery, flow probes and tracer infusion. We quantitate regional perfusion continuously on the basis of regional clearance of methane (methane is produced in the sheep rumen, enters the circulation and is eliminated nearly completely (greater than 95%) in the lung). Tracheal intubation with a dual-lumen catheter isolates the gas exchange of the right apical lobe (RAL; less than 15% of the lung) from that of the remainder of the lung, which serves as a control (CL). We measure RAL and CL methane elimination by entraining expirates in constant flows, sampled continuously for methane. Results obtained with this technique and from regional oxygen uptake are in excellent agreement. We have found that hypoxic vasoconstriction is far more potent and stable during eucapnic hypoxia than during hypocapnic hypoxia. The time course of the vasoconstriction suggests that many of the data in the literature may have been obtained prior to steady state.
A warming climate is anticipated to increase the future heat-related total mortality in urban areas. However, little evidence has been reported for cause-specific mortality or nonurban areas. Here we assessed the impact of climate change on heat-related total and cause-specific mortality in both urban and rural counties of Jiangsu Province, China, in the next five decades. To address the potential uncertainty in projecting future heat-related mortality, we applied localized urban- and nonurban-specific exposure response functions, six population projections including a no population change scenario and five Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs), and 42 temperature projections from 21 global-scale general circulation models and two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs). Results showed that projected warmer temperatures in 2016-2040 and 2041-2065 will lead to higher heat-related mortality for total non-accidental, cardiovascular, respiratory, stroke, ischemic heart disease (IHD), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) causes occurring annually during May to September in Jiangsu Province, China. Nonurban residents in Jiangsu will suffer from more excess heat-related cause-specific mortality in 2016-2065 than urban residents. Variations across climate models and RCPs dominated the uncertainty of heat-related mortality estimation whereas population size change only had limited influence. Our findings suggest that targeted climate change mitigation and adaptation measures should be taken in both urban and nonurban areas of Jiangsu Province. Specific public health interventions should be focused on the leading causes of death (stroke, IHD, and COPD), whose health burden will be amplified by a warming climate.
Humans are widely exposed to naphthalene. Once inhaled or ingested, naphthalene is metabolized by cytochrome P450 and other enzymes to form toxic metabolites known to harm lung epithelial cells. Naphthalene metabolites circulate in the blood. Chronic naphthalene inhalation promotes lesions in the epithelium of the mouse lung and rat nose. Oral naphthalene exposure leads to DNA adduct formation in mouse lung, but the contributions of different enzymatic pathways and the metabolites they generate are not fully understood. This study explores the influence of naphthalene metabolites on DNA adduct formation in the lungs of two species (mice and primates). To isolate the lung response, conducting airway explants containing Club cells, a target for pulmonary naphthalene toxicity, were microdissected from live lung tissue and incubated with 14 C-naphthalene or its metabolites: 14 C-1,2-naphthoquinone or 14 C-naphthalene-1,2-dihydrodiol. Explants were incubated for 1 h, then processed immediately (T1), or were transferred to clean media for the remainder of the 24 h (T24), to monitor 14 C in DNA over time. Accelerator mass spectrometry analysis revealed the formation of DNA adducts by all three radiolabeled compounds by T24. Our results support the notion that P450 enzymes of the Cyp2abfgs subfamily contribute to naphthalene-induced DNA adduct formation (approximately 4-fold reduction in male mice lacking the Cyp2abfgs genes, P < 0.01). The finding that naphthalene-1,2-dihydrodiol, a stable metabolite, formed DNA adducts (102–117 adducts/10 8 nucleotides) at 24 h following addition to the culture media validates the concern that circulating naphthalene metabolites can contribute to DNA adduct formation in the lung. DNA adducts persisted to 24 h after exposure in both mouse and primate airways and at comparable levels between species (77.8 vs 129 adducts/10 8 nucleotides, respectively). Together, these results support the importance of a potential genotoxic mechanism of naphthalene and its metabolites in vivo in both mice and nonhuman primates, and possibly also in humans.
Astronauts conducting extravehicular activities undergo decompression to a lower ambient pressure, potentially resulting in gas bubble formation within the tissues and venous circulation. Additionally, exposure to microgravity produces fluid shifts within the body leading to cardiovascular deconditioning. A lower incidence of decompression illness in actual spaceflight compared with that in ground-based altitude chamber flights suggests that there is a possible interaction between microgravity exposure and decompression illness. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cardiovascular and pulmonary effects of simulated hypobaric decompression stress using a tail suspension (head-down tilt) model of microgravity to produce the fluid shifts associated with weightlessness in conscious, chronically instrumented rats. Venous bubble formation resulting from altitude decompression illness was simulated by a 3-h intravenous air infusion. Cardiovascular deconditioning was simulated by 96 h of head-down tilt. Heart rate, mean arterial blood pressure, central venous pressure, left ventricular wall thickening and cardiac output were continuously recorded. Lung studies were performed to evaluate edema formation and compliance measurement. Blood and pleural fluid were examined for changes in white cell counts and protein concentration. Our data demonstrated that in tail-suspended rats subjected to venous air infusions, there was a reduction in pulmonary edema formation and less of a decrease in cardiac output than occurred following venous air infusion alone. Mean arterial blood pressure and myocardial wall thickening fractions were unchanged with either tail-suspension or venous air infusion. Heart rate decreased in both conditions while systemic vascular resistance increased. These differences may be due in part to a change or redistribution of pulmonary blood flow or to a diminished cellular response to the microvascular insult of the venous air embolization.
The objective of this joint U.S. - Russian project was the development and validation of an in-flight methodology to assess a number of cardiac and vascular parameters associated with circulating volume and its manipulation in long-duration space flight. Responses to modified Valsalva and Mueller maneuvers were measured by cardiac and vascular ultrasound (US) before, during, and after temporary volume reduction by means of Braslet-M thigh occlusion cuffs (Russia). Materials and Methods: The study protocol was conducted in 14 sessions on 9 ISS crewmembers, with an average exposure to microgravity of 122 days. Baseline cardiovascular measurements were taken by echocardiography in multiple modes (including tissue Doppler of both ventricles) and femoral and jugular vein imaging on the International Space Station (ISS). The Braslet devices were then applied and measurements were repeated after >10 minutes. The cuffs were then released and the hemodynamic recovery process was monitored. Modified Valsalva and Mueller maneuvers were used throughout the protocol. All US data were acquired by the HDI-5000 ultrasound system aboard the ISS (ATL/Philips, USA) during remotely guided sessions. The study protocol, including the use of Braslet-M for this purpose, was approved by the ISS Human Research Multilateral Review Board (HRMRB). Results: The effects of fluid sequestration on a number of echocardiographic and vascular parameters were readily detectable by in-flight US, as were responses to respiratory maneuvers. The overall volume status assessment methodology appears to be valid and practical, with a decrease in left heart lateral E (tissue Doppler) as one of the most reliable measures. Increase in the femoral vein cross-sectional areas was consistently observed with Braslet application. Other significant differences and trends within the extensive cardiovascular data were also observed. (Decreased - RV and LV preload indices, Cardiac Output, LV E all maneuvers, LV Stroke Volume). Conclusions: This Study: 1) Addressed specific aspects of operational space medicine and space physiology, including assessment of circulating volume disturbances 2) Expanded the applications of diagnostic ultrasound imaging and Doppler techniques in microgravity. 3) Used respiratory maneuvers against the background of acute circulating volume manipulations which appear to enhance our ability to noninvasively detect volume-dependency in a number of cardiac and vascular parameters. 4) Determined that Tei index is not clinically changed therefore contractility not altered in the face of reduced preload. 5) Determined that increased Femoral Vein Area indicating blood being sequestered in lower extremities correlates with reduced preload and cardiac output. 6) That Braslet may be the only feasible means of acutely treating high pressure pulmonary edema in reduced gravity environments.