scholarly journals Length and curvature of the dog diaphragm

2006 ◽  
Vol 101 (3) ◽  
pp. 794-798 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aladin M. Boriek ◽  
Ben Black ◽  
Rolf Hubmayr ◽  
Theodore A. Wilson

Transdiaphragmatic pressure is a result of both tension in the muscles of the diaphragm and curvature of the muscles. As lung volume increases, the pressure-generating capability of the diaphragm decreases. Whether decrease in curvature contributes to the loss in transdiaphragmatic pressure and, if so, under what conditions it contributes are unknown. Here we report data on muscle length and curvature in the supine dog. Radiopaque markers were attached along muscle bundles in the midcostal region of the diaphragm in six beagle dogs of ∼8 kg, and marker locations were obtained from biplanar images at functional residual capacity (FRC), during spontaneous inspiratory efforts against a closed airway at lung volumes from FRC to total lung capacity, and during bilateral maximal phrenic nerve stimulation at the same lung volumes. Muscle length and curvature were obtained from these data. During spontaneous inspiratory efforts, muscle shortened by 15–40% of length at FRC, but curvature remained unchanged. During phrenic nerve stimulation, muscle shortened by 30 to nearly 50%, and, for shortening exceeding 52%, curvature appeared to decrease sharply. We conclude that diaphragm curvature is nearly constant during spontaneous breathing maneuvers in normal animals. However, we speculate that it is possible, if lung compliance were increased and the chest wall and the diameter of the diaphragm ring of insertion were enlarged, as in the case of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, that decrease in diaphragm curvature could contribute to loss of diaphragm function.

1987 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 277-284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Kikuchi ◽  
W. Hida ◽  
C. Shindoh ◽  
T. Chonan ◽  
H. Miki ◽  
...  

We examined the effect of digitalis on diaphragmatic contractility and fatigability in 19 anesthetized mechanically ventilated dogs. The diaphragmatic force was assessed from transdiaphragmatic pressure (Pdi) developed at functional residual capacity against an occluded airway during cervical phrenic nerve stimulation. In a first group of five dogs, Pdi-stimulus frequency relationships were compared before and after administration of ouabain in doses of 0.01, 0.02, and 0.04 mg/kg. In a second group, diaphragmatic fatigue was produced by bilateral phrenic nerve stimulation at 30 Hz. Ten seconds of stimulation and 15 s of mechanical ventilation were repeated for 30 min. The rates of decrease in Pdi were compared between two groups, one of 0.05 mg/kg deslanoside-treated dogs (n = 7) and one of nontreated dogs (n = 7). After ouabain administration Pdi was significantly greater at each frequency in a dose-dependent manner. On the other hand, the rate of decrease in Pdi in the deslanoside group was significantly smaller than that in the nontreated group, whereas deslanoside did not greatly change the Pdi-frequency curves in fresh diaphragm. We conclude that ouabain improves contractility of the fresh diaphragm and that deslanoside has a protective effect against fatigability.


2011 ◽  
Vol 301 (1) ◽  
pp. R76-R82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brad J. Greybeck ◽  
Matthew Wettergreen ◽  
Rolf D. Hubmayr ◽  
Aladin M. Boriek

During physiological spontaneous breathing maneuvers, the diaphragm displaces volume while maintaining curvature. However, with maximal diaphragm activation, curvature decreases sharply. We tested the hypotheses that the relationship between diaphragm muscle shortening and volume displacement (VD) is nonlinear and that curvature is a determinant of such a relationship. Radiopaque markers were surgically placed on three neighboring muscle fibers in the midcostal region of the diaphragm in six dogs. The three-dimensional locations were determined using biplanar fluoroscopy and diaphragm VD, curvature, and muscle shortening were computed in the prone and supine postures during spontaneous breathing (SB), spontaneous inspiration efforts after airway occlusion at lung volumes ranging from functional residual capacity (FRC) to total lung capacity, and during bilateral maximal phrenic nerve stimulation at those same lung volumes. In supine dogs, diaphragm VD was approximately two- to three-fold greater during maximal phrenic nerve stimulation than during SB. The contribution of muscle shortening to VD nonlinearly increases with level of diaphragm activation independent of posture. During submaximal diaphragm activation, the contribution is essentially linear due to constancy of diaphragm curvature in both the prone and supine posture. However, the sudden loss of curvature during maximal bilateral phrenic nerve stimulation at muscle shortening values greater than 40% (ΔL/LFRC) causes a nonlinear increase in the contribution of muscle shortening to diaphragm VD, which is concomitant with a nonlinear change in diaphragm curvature. We conclude that the nonlinear relationship between diaphragm muscle shortening and its VD is, in part, due to a loss of its curvature at extreme muscle shortening.


2008 ◽  
Vol 104 (2) ◽  
pp. 423-428 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dimitri Leduc ◽  
Matteo Cappello ◽  
Pierre Alain Gevenois ◽  
André De Troyer

Ascites causes an increase in the elastance of the abdomen and impairs the lung-expanding action of the diaphragm, but its overall effects on the pressure-generating ability of the muscle remain unclear. In the present study, radiopaque markers were attached to muscle bundles in the midcostal region of the diaphragm in five dogs, and the three-dimensional locations of the markers during relaxation and during phrenic nerve stimulation in the presence of increasing amounts of ascites were determined using a computed tomographic scanner. From these data, accurate measurements of muscle length and quantitative estimates of diaphragm curvature were obtained, and the changes in transdiaphragmatic pressure (Pdi) were analyzed as functions of muscle length and curvature. With increasing ascites, the resting length of the diaphragm increased progressively. In addition, the amount of muscle shortening during phrenic nerve stimulation decreased gradually. When ascites was 100 ml/kg body wt, therefore, the muscle during contraction was longer, leading to a 20–25% increase in Pdi. As ascites increased further to 200 ml/kg, however, muscle length during contraction continued to increase, but Pdi did not. This absence of additional increase in Pdi was well explained by the increase in the diameter of the ring of insertion of the diaphragm to the rib cage and the concomitant increase in the radius of diaphragm curvature. These observations indicate that the pressure-generating ability of the diaphragm is determined not only by muscle length as conventionally thought but also by muscle shape.


1985 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 269-273 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. F. Planas ◽  
R. H. McBrayer ◽  
P. A. Koen

Diaphragmatic force, determined by stimulating the phrenic nerve while simultaneously measuring the pressures in a closed respiratory system, was assessed in five anesthetized dogs over a 5-h period to evaluate the inherent variability of this technique. Transdiaphragmatic pressure (Pdi) was measured at functional residual capacity during stimulation (120 Hz, 0.2-ms duration) of one phrenic nerve by either direct phrenic nerve stimulation (DPNS) or transvenous phrenic nerve stimulation (TPNS). An analysis of variance showed no significant (P greater than 0.50) change during the 5-h period. There was a significant correlation (r = 0.94, P less than 0.001) between Pdi obtained by TPNS and that obtained by DPNS. It is concluded that either DPNS or TPNS can be used to evaluate diaphragmatic strength over a 5-h period and that TPNS can be used in lieu of DPNS.


2010 ◽  
Vol 109 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
André De Troyer ◽  
Matteo Cappello ◽  
Dimitri Leduc ◽  
Pierre Alain Gevenois

The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of the mediastinum in the mechanics of the canine diaphragm. Two sets of experiments were performed. In the first experiment on five animals, the mediastinum was severed from the sternum to the vena cava, and radiopaque markers were attached to muscle bundles in the midcostal region of the diaphragm. The three-dimensional location of the markers during relaxation at different lung volumes and during phrenic nerve stimulation at the same lung volumes was then measured using computed tomography. From these data, accurate measurements of muscle displacement and muscle length were obtained, and these measurements, together with the changes in airway opening pressure, were compared with those previously obtained in animals with an intact mediastinum. Severing the mediastinum per se appeared to have no influence on the pressure-generating capacity of the diaphragm or on the lung-volume dependence of this capacity. The great vessels and the esophagus in these animals, however, were left intact, so the possibility remained that these structures continued to impact on the diaphragm through their close attachments to the muscle. In the second experiment, therefore, loads were applied caudally to the central tendon to assess the force-displacement relationship of the entire mediastinum, and this relationship, combined with the known displacement of the diaphragm dome during phrenic nerve stimulation, was used to infer the force exerted by the mediastinum on the muscle during contraction. The results showed that this force is small compared with that developed by the diaphragm, except at very high lung volumes. It is concluded, therefore, that the mediastinum has only little influence on the mechanics of the canine diaphragm.


1995 ◽  
Vol 79 (2) ◽  
pp. 632-637 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. R. Eastwood ◽  
J. A. Panizza ◽  
D. R. Hillman ◽  
K. E. Finucane

Transcutaneous bilateral phrenic nerve stimulation (tPNS) is frequently used to assess diaphragmatic function in humans. Commonly, stimulation is performed with hand-held electrodes; however, these are unsuitable for studies requiring repeated PNS and where recruitment of rib cage and neck muscles may shift the probes in relation to the nerves. In this study we describe the design of a cervical neck brace and electrode probes that maintain stimulating electrodes in constant position relative to the phrenic nerves and facilitates studies requiring repeated maximal PNS. The effectiveness of the apparatus was examined by 1) reviewing the reproducibility of the transdiaphragmatic pressure response to 0.1 ms tPNS (PdiT) at relaxed functional residual capacity in four subjects studied on 25 +/- 8 (SD) occasions (> or = 24 h apart) over a 4-yr period, and 2) measuring peak-to-peak amplitude of the left and right diaphragmatic compound muscle action potentials (surface electrodes) during two prolonged studies (38 +/- 9 min) in each subject, when tPNS was performed during repeated submaximal and maximal inspiratory efforts. PdiT was reproducible in each subject when measured repeatedly within a single study [coefficient of variation (CV) of 3.8 +/- 0.8%] and over separate days (CV of 11.5 +/- 3.5%). The peak-to-peak amplitudes of the left and right compound muscle action potentials were also reproducible (CV of 8.4 +/- 4.3 and 8.4 +/- 2.9%, respectively) and independent of the degree of effort. The apparatus appears effective for the maintenance of maximal stimulation under varied conditions for long periods and provides reproducible measurements of PdiT both within and between studies.


1981 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 538-544 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Aubier ◽  
G. Farkas ◽  
A. De Troyer ◽  
R. Mozes ◽  
C. Roussos

Transdiaphragmatic pressure (Pdi) was measured at functional residual capacity (FRC) in four normal seated subjects during supramaximal, supraclavicular transcutaneous stimulation of one phrenic nerve (10, 20, 50, and 100 Hz--0.1 ms duration) before and after diaphragmatic fatigue, produced by breathing through a high alinear inspiratory resistance. Constancy of chest wall configuration was achieved by placing a cast around the abdomen and the lower one-fourth of the rib cage. Pdi increased with frequency of stimulation, so that at 10, 20, and 50 Hz, the Pdi generated was 32 +/- 4 (SE), 70 +/- 3, and 98 +/- 2% of Pdi at 100 Hz, respectively. After diaphragmatic fatigue, Pdi was less than control at all frequencies of stimulation. Recovery for high stimulation frequencies was complete at 10 min, but at low stimulation frequencies recovery was slow: after 30 min of recovery, Pdi at 20 Hz was 31 +/- 7% of the control value. It is concluded that diaphragmatic fatigue can be detected in man by transcutaneous stimulation of the phrenic nerve and that diaphragmatic strength after fatigue recovers faster at high than at low frequencies of stimulation. Furthermore, it is suggested that this long-lasting element of fatigue might occur in patients with chronic obstructive lung disease, predisposing them to respiratory failure.


1985 ◽  
Vol 58 (5) ◽  
pp. 1469-1476 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Laporta ◽  
A. Grassino

Maximal force developed by the diaphragm at functional residual capacity is a useful index to establish muscle weakness; however, great disparity in its reproducibility can be observed among reports in the literature. We evaluated five maneuvers to measure maximal transdiaphragmatic pressure (Pdimax) in order to establish best reproducibility and value. Thirty-five naive subjects, including 10 normal subjects (group 1), 12 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (group 2), and 13 patients with restrictive pulmonary disease (group 3), were studied. Each subject performed five separate maneuvers in random order that were repeated until reproducible values were obtained. The maneuvers were Mueller with (A) and without mouthpiece (B), abdominal expulsive effort with open glottis (C), two-step (maneuver C combined with Mueller effort) (D), and feedback [two-step with visual feedback of pleural (Ppl) and abdominal (Pab) pressure] (E). The greatest reproducible Pdimax values were obtained with maneuver E (P less than 0.01) (group 1: 180 +/- 14 cmH2O). The second best maneuvers were A, B, and D (group 1: 154 +/- 25 cmH2O). Maneuver C produced the lowest values. For all maneuvers, group 1 produced higher values than groups 2 and 3 (P less than 0.001), which were similar. The Ppl to Pdi ratio was 0.6 in maneuvers A and B, 0.4 in D and E, and 0.2 in C. We conclude that visual feedback of Ppl and Pab helped the subjects to elicit maximal diaphragmatic effort in a reproducible fashion. It is likely that the great variability of values in Pdimax previously reported are the result of inadequate techniques.


1980 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 408-416 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Nagels ◽  
F. J. Landser ◽  
L. van der Linden ◽  
J. Clement ◽  
K. P. Van de Woestijne

Using a forced oscillation technique, we measured the resistance (Rrs) and reactance (Xrs) of the respiratory system between 2 and 32 Hz at three different lung volumes in 15 healthy subjects and 7 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Rrs and Xrs were partitioned, by means of a pressure recording in the esophagus, into the resistance and reactance of lung and airways (L) and the chest wall. The measurements were validated by checking the adequacy of the frequency response of the esophagus, by the lack of difference between thoracic and mouth flow, by an estimation of the error introduced by the shunt impedance of the cheeks, and by comparisons with the values of pulmonary compliance and resistance determined in the same subjects with classical techniques. In both healthy subjects and patients, the chest wall has a low resistance that increases somewhat at low lung volumes and behaves functionally as a two-compartment system, with low capacitance at frequencies exceeding 4 Hz. Rrs varies with lung volume and is markedly frequency dependent in patients; both phenomena are due primarily to corresponding variations of RL. In healthy subjects, at and above functional residual capacity (FRC) level, the lungs behave as a one-compartment system, the reactance of which is mainly determined by the gaseous inertance, at least beyond 2 Hz. In patients and in healthy subjects breathing below FRC, the observed frequency dependence of resistance and the simultaneous increase in resonant frequency can be simulated satisfactorily by Mead's two-compartment model, assuming a large increase in peripheral airways resistance.


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