Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
1
pubmed:dateCreated
2001-6-15
pubmed:abstractText
We have investigated the basis and implications of pneumoconstriction by measuring disposition and quantities of alpha-smooth muscle actin in rat and guinea pig lungs and modeling its effects on lung recoil and compliance. A robust marker of contractility, alpha-smooth muscle actin appears in smooth muscle or myofibroblast-like cells in pleura, airways, blood vessels, and alveolar ductal tissues. In each site, we measured its transected area by immunofluorescent staining and frequency-modulated scanning confocal microscopy. We incorporated these data in a model of the parenchyma consisting of an extensive elastic network with embedded contractile structures. We conclude that contraction at any one of these sites alone can decrease parenchymal compliance by 20-30% during tidal breathing. This is due mostly to the stiffness of activated contractile elements undergoing passive cycling; constant muscle tension would have little effect. The magnitude of the effect corresponds with known responses of the lung to hypocapnia, consistent with a homeostatic function in which gas exchange is defended by redistributing ventilation away from overventilated units.
pubmed:grant
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Jul
pubmed:issn
8750-7587
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
91
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
459-73
pubmed:dateRevised
2007-11-14
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2001
pubmed:articleTitle
alpha-Actin: disposition, quantities, and estimated effects on lung recoil and compliance.
pubmed:affiliation
Departments of Medicine and Pathology, Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island and Brown University, Pawtucket, Rhode Island 02860, USA.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, In Vitro, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S., Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't