title: Hypocapnia is associated with increased upper airway expiratory resistance during sleep.
abstract: We hypothesized that hypocapnia is responsible for increased expiratory resistance during NREM sleep. Hypocapnia was induced by hypoxic hyperventilation in 21 subjects (aged 29.4 ± 7.8 yrs, 10 women, BMI 24.4 ± 4.3 kg/m(2)). Isocapnic hypoxia was induced in 12 subjects of whom, 6 underwent hypocapnic hypoxia in the same night. Upper airway resistance (R(UA)) was measured at the linear pressure-flow relationship during inspiration and expiration. Inspiratory flow limitation (IFL) was defined as the dissociation in pressure-flow relationship. (1) Expiratory R(UA) increased during hypocapnic but not isocapnic hypoxia relative to control (11.0 ± 5.6 vs. 8.2 ± 3.6 cm H(2)O/L/s; p < 0.05, and 11.45.0 vs. 10.94.4 cm H(2)O/L/s; p = NS, respectively). (2) No gender difference was found in R(UA) (p = NS). (3) Increased expiratory R(UA) correlated with the IFL change during hypocapnic but not isocapnic hypoxia. (4) No changes were noted in inspiratory R(UA) or IFL. Expiratory R(UA) increased during hypocapnia and was associated with IFL, indicating upper airway narrowing. Gender does not influence the upper airway response to hypocapnic hypoxia.
authors.affiliation: Sleep Research Laboratory, John D Dingell Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care & Sleep, 3990 John R, 3-Hudson, Department of Internal Medicine, Wayne State University School, Detroit, MI, United States. atarbich@med.wayne.edu
authors.forename: Abdul Ghani
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Sankri-Tarbichi
authors.forename: Nekeyua N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Richardson
authors.forename: Susmita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chowdhuri
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Rowley
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Safwan Badr
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000403:Airway Resistance / Q000502:physiology*; D045853:Exhalation / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016857:Hypocapnia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*