Aerosol deposition and dispersion characterize lung injury in a canine model of emphysema.
The deposition and dispersion of inhaled aerosol boluses were investigated as markers of lung injury in three dogs before and after emphysema was induced by papain exposure. After the experiments, lung damage was assessed histologically. Four unexposed dogs were used as controls. Effective air space diameter (EAD) was determined from aerosol deposition during a 5-s breath hold. Nonuniform ventilation was assessed from the spreading of the expired bolus, quantified as a coefficient of dispersion (CD), and from expired bolus skewness (SK). Experiments were done with a range of bolus penetrations and ventilatory flow rates. After papain exposure, EAD measured with the most penetrating boluses increased an average of 89% (P < 0.0001); CD and SK measured with boluses of medium penetration and a flow rate of 0.5 l/s increased an average of 24% (P < 0.02) and 98% (P < 0.002), respectively. The effects of lung injury on CD and SK increased with flow rate. Lung injury was confirmed by changes in lung mechanics and by histology. EAD measured with deeply penetrating boluses correlated significantly with the mean chord length measured morphometrically (P < 0.05). No correlation was found with more shallow boluses. The results indicate that EAD, CD, and SK are sensitive markers of lung injury in experimental emphysema and that EAD is a specific marker of increased air space size.
Rosenthal
F S
FS
School of Health Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA.
D000336:Aerosols; D000818:Animals; D004285:Dogs; D010206:Papain; D011656:Pulmonary Emphysema / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology; D012119:Respiration / Q000187:drug effects*; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests
D000336:Aerosols; D010206:Papain