title: Effects of high-frequency oscillatory ventilation on vagal and phrenic nerve activities.
abstract: This study was undertaken to define the mechanism for the respiratory inhibition observed during high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV). The effects of HFOV on the activities of single units in the vagus (Vna) and phrenic nerves (Pna) were examined in pentobarbital-anesthetized dogs. The animals were either ventilated by intermittent positive-pressure ventilation (IPPV) with and without positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP), or by HFOV at a frequency of 25 Hz and pump displacement volume of 3 ml/kg. In 13 vagal units the Vna was much higher during HFOV than during IPPV or airway occlusion at a matched airway pressure. Ten units in the phrenic nerves were examined, and Pna (expressed as bursts/min) was attenuated by HFOV in all of them. In four of them, the effect of cooling the vagi to 8-10 degrees C on Pna was examined, and it was found that HFOV failed to alter the Pna. We conclude that 1) HFOV stimulates the pulmonary vagal afferent fibers continuously and to a degree greater than that due to static lung inflation and increased airway pressure and 2) the increased vagal activity during HFOV probably causes phrenic nerve activity inhibition.
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials; D000344:Afferent Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D004285:Dogs; D008168:Lung / Q000294:innervation; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000502:physiology; D010791:Phrenic Nerve / Q000502:physiology*; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000379:methods*; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000502:physiology*