Benefits of short inspiratory muscle training on exercise capacity, dyspnea, and inspiratory fraction in COPD patients.

Abstract: Static lung hyperinflation has important clinical consequences in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Given that most of these patients have respiratory and peripheral muscle weakness, dyspnea and functional exercise capacity may improve as a result of inspiratory muscle training (IMT). The present study is designed to investigate the benefits of a short outpatient program of IMT on inspiratory muscle performance, exercise capacity, perception of dyspnea, and the inspiratory fraction (IF).

Outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Objective: To evaluate an entirely outpatient-based program of pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD, using St.George's Respiratory questionnaire (SGRQ), the 6-minutes walking test (6-MWT) and BODE index as the primary outcome measures.

Methods: A prospective, parallel-group controlled study of an outpatient rehabilitation program in 80 patients with COPD (67 men and 13 women; mean age 64.

Prenatal nicotine alters maturation of breathing and neural circuits regulating respiratory control.

While perinatal nicotine effects on ventilation have been widely investigated, the prenatal impact of nicotine treatment during gestation on both breathing and neural circuits involved in respiratory control remains unknown. We examined the effects of nicotine, from embryonic day 5 (E5) to E20, on baseline ventilation, the two hypoxic ventilatory response components and in vivo tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity in carotid bodies and brainstem areas, assessed at postnatal day 7 (P7), P11 and P21. In pups prenatally exposed to nicotine, baseline ventilation and hypoxic ventilatory response were increased at P7 (+48%) and P11 (+46%), with increased tidal volume (p<0.

Effect of a noninvasive ventilatory support during exercise of a program in pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with COPD.

Background: Breathlessness is the most common symptom limiting exercise in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Exercise training can improve both exercise tolerance and health status in these patients, intensity of exercise being of key importance. Nevertheless, in these patients extreme breathlessness and/or peripheral muscle fatigue may prevent patients from reaching higher levels of intensity.

A study of experimental acute lung injury in pigs on zero end-expiratory pressure.

Objectives: Tidal expiratory flow limitation (EFL) has been reported in humans with acute lung injury (ALI) and assumed to be associated with small airway closure. Detection of EFL is important because by selecting positive end-expiratory pressure at such a level that EFL is no longer present in the tidal breath, the repeated opening and closure of small airways can be prevented. The objective of this study was to investigate the occurrence of EFL in two experimental models of ALI.

Increased intra-abdominal pressure affects respiratory variations in arterial pressure in normovolaemic and hypovolaemic mechanically ventilated healthy pigs.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of increased intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) on the systolic and pulse pressure variations induced by positive pressure ventilation in a porcine model.

Design And Setting: Experimental study in a research laboratory.

Subjects: Seven mechanically ventilated and instrumented pigs prone to normovolaemia and hypovolaemia by blood withdrawal.

Liver function during extracorporeal whole liver perfusion in a pig model of acute ischemic liver failure.

The shortage of livers for transplant has renewed interest in the potential of temporary liver support such as extra corporeal whole liver perfusion. In an ischemic induced liver failure model we perfused an extra corporeal liver through only a portal vein and assessed the function of this ex vivo liver by using hepatic tests to estimate elimination as well as synthesis capacities. Acute liver failure was performed in five control pigs by a hepatic devascularization associated to an end to side portocaval shunt.

Effects of positive end-expiratory pressure on the sigmoid equation in experimental acute lung injury.

Objectives: To describe inflation and deflation volume-pressure (V-P) curves of the respiratory system by the sigmoidal equation at different levels of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) in acute lung injury.

Design: Experimental study.

Setting: Physiological laboratory in a university setting.

Hepatic ischemia is associated with an increase in liver parenchyma nitric oxide that is in part enzyme-independent.

Background: Nitric oxide (NO) might be involved in liver response to local ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Methods: A specific NO-sensitive electrode was inserted into liver parenchyma of anesthetized rabbits. After a 45-min period of stable NO signal, the vascular pedicle of the caudal lobe of the liver was clamped for 45 min, then the clamp was removed.

Effects of positive end-expiratory pressure and body position on pulmonary blood flow redistribution in mechanically ventilated normal pigs.

Study Objectives: To assess the respective effects of position and positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) on the distribution of regional pulmonary blood flow (PBF).

Design: Prospective randomized animal study.

Setting: Animal research facility in a university hospital.

Comparison of PET with radioactive microspheres to assess pulmonary blood flow.

Unlabelled: Microsphere technique is the reference for assessment of pulmonary blood flow (PBF) but is destructive; PET, however, can determine PBF noninvasively. Comparisons of these 2 methods are scanty. Our study aimed at comparing these 2 techniques using a mathematic model taking into account the right ventricle in determining the transit time of a tracer through lung tissue.