Journal of applied physiology
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Excessive erythrocytosis (EE) is the hallmark of chronic mountain sickness (CMS), a prevalent syndrome in high-altitude Andean populations. Although hypoxemia represents its underlying stimulus, why some individuals develop EE despite having altitude-normal blood erythropoietin (Epo) concentration is still unclear. A soluble form of the Epo receptor (sEpoR) has been identified in human blood and competes directly for Epo with its membrane counterpart (mEpoR). ⋯ Also, we showed that the latter varies as an inverse exponential function of arterial pulse O2 saturation. Our findings suggests that EE is strongly associated with higher Epo/sEpoR values, leading to elevated plasma Epo availability to bind mEpoR, and thereby a stronger stimulus for augmented erythropoiesis. Differences in the altitude normal and high Epo CMS patients with a progressively higher Epo/sEpoR supports the hypothesis of the existence of two genetically different subgroups suffering from EE and possibly different degrees of adaptation to chronic high-altitude hypoxia.
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In patients with combined obesity and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), dyspnea intensity at matched work rates during weight-supported cycling and weight-bearing walking is similar, despite consistent metabolic differences between test modalities. The present study examined the influence of differences in activity of the diaphragm and abdominal muscles during cycling and walking on intensity and quality of dyspnea at matched ventilation in obese patients with COPD. We compared respiratory muscle activity patterns and dyspnea ratings during incremental cycle and treadmill exercise tests, where work rate was matched, in 12 obese (body mass index 36.6 ± 5.4 kg/m(2); mean ± SD) patients with moderate COPD. ⋯ The cycling position was associated with greater neuromuscular efficiency of the diaphragm (P < 0.01), greater diaphragm use (P < 0.01) measured by the ventilatory muscle recruitment index, and less expiratory muscle activity compared (P < 0.01) with treadmill walking. However, intensity and quality of dyspnea were similar between exercise modalities. In obese patients with COPD, altered respiratory muscle activity due to body position differences between cycling and walking did not modulate perceived dyspnea when indirect measures of respiratory neural drive were unchanged.
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Comparative Study
Assessment of middle cerebral artery diameter during hypocapnia and hypercapnia in humans using ultra-high-field MRI.
In the evaluation of cerebrovascular CO2 reactivity measurements, it is often assumed that the diameter of the large intracranial arteries insonated by transcranial Doppler remains unaffected by changes in arterial CO2 partial pressure. However, the strong cerebral vasodilatory capacity of CO2 challenges this assumption, suggesting that there should be some changes in diameter, even if very small. Data from previous studies on effects of CO2 on cerebral artery diameter [middle cerebral artery (MCA)] have been inconsistent. ⋯ The nonlinear response of the MCA diameter to CO2 was fitted as a continuous calibration curve. Cerebral blood flow changes measured by transcranial Doppler could be corrected by this calibration curve using concomitant PET(CO2) measurements. In conclusion, the MCA diameter remains constant during small deviations of the PET(CO2) from normocapnia, but increases at higher PET(CO2) values.
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Comparative Study
Morning pentraxin3 levels reflect obstructive sleep apnea-related acute inflammation.
This study investigated morning levels of pentraxin3 (PTX3) as a sensitive biomarker for acute inflammation in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). A total of 61 consecutive patients with OSA were divided into two groups: non-to-mild (n = 20) and moderate-to-severe (n = 41) OSA based on their apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) score. Those patients with moderate-to-severe OSA were further divided into continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treated (n = 21) and non-CPAP-treated (n = 20) groups. ⋯ CPAP therapy reduced evening and morning serum hs-CRP and PTX3 levels in patients with moderate-to-severe OSA; however, the reduction in PTX3 levels in the morning was greater than that in the evening (morning -29.8 ± 16.7% vs. evening -12.6 ± 26.8%, P = 0.029). Improvement in the AHI score following CPAP therapy was strongly correlated with reduced morning PTX3 levels(r = 0.727, P < 0.001). Based on these results, morning PTX3 levels reflect OSA-related acute inflammation and are a useful marker for improvement in OSA following CPAP therapy.
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Persistent impairment of pulmonary defense reflexes is a critical factor contributing to pulmonary complications in patients with spinal cord injuries. The pulmonary chemoreflex evoked by activation of bronchopulmonary C-fibers has been reported to be abolished in animals with acute cervical hemisection (C2Hx). The present study examined whether the pulmonary chemoreflex can recover during the chronic injury phase and investigated the role of bronchopulmonary C-fibers on the altered breathing pattern after C2Hx. ⋯ In the second protocol, the influence of background bronchopulmonary C-fiber activity on respiration was investigated by blocking C-fiber conduction via perivagal capsaicin treatment. The rapid shallow breathing of C2Hx animals persisted after perivagal capsaicin treatment despite attenuation of pulmonary chemoreflexes. These results indicate that the pulmonary chemoreflex can recover to some extent following spinal injury, but remains attenuated even when there is moderate spinal tissue sparing, and that altered breathing pattern of C2Hx animals cannot be attributed to endogenous activation of bronchopulmonary C-fibers.