Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
3
pubmed:dateCreated
2001-8-17
pubmed:abstractText
We hypothesized that short-term variation in airway caliber could be quantified by frequency distributions of respiratory impedance (Zrs) measured at high frequency. We measured Zrs at 6 Hz by forced oscillations during quiet breathing for 15 min in 10 seated asthmatic patients and 6 normal subjects in upright and supine positions before and after methacholine (MCh). We plotted frequency distributions of Zrs and calculated means, skewness, kurtosis, and significance of differences between normal and log-normal frequency distributions. The data were close to, but usually significantly different from, a log-normal frequency distribution. Mean lnZrs in upright and supine positions was significantly less in normal subjects than in asthmatic patients, but not after MCh and MCh in the supine position. The lnZrs SD (a measure of variation), in the upright position and after MCh was significantly less in normal subjects than in asthmatic patients, but not in normal subjects in the supine position and after MCh in the supine position. We conclude that 1) the configuration of the normal tracheobronchial tree is continuously changing and that this change is exaggerated in asthma, 2) in normal lungs, control of airway caliber is homeokinetic, maintaining variation within acceptable limits, 3) normal airway smooth muscle (ASM) when activated and unloaded closely mimics asthmatic ASM, 4) in asthma, generalized airway narrowing results primarily from ASM activation, whereas ASM unloading by increasing shortening velocity allows faster caliber fluctuations, 5) activation moves ASM farther from thermodynamic equilibrium, and 6) asthma may be a low-entropy disease exhibiting not only generalized airway narrowing but also an increased appearance of statistically unlikely airway configurations.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Sep
pubmed:issn
8750-7587
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
91
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
1131-41
pubmed:dateRevised
2006-11-15
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2001
pubmed:articleTitle
Homeokinesis and short-term variability of human airway caliber.
pubmed:affiliation
Inspiraplex Respiratory Health Network of Centres of Excellence, Meakins Christie Laboratories, Montreal Chest Institute, Royal Victoria Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H2X 2P4.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't