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Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland 21287
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ABSTRACT |
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Diaphragm fatigue may contribute to respiratory failure. 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy is a useful tool to assess energetic changes within the diaphragm during fatigue, as indicated by Pi accumulation and phosphocreatine (PCr) depletion. We hypothesized that loaded breathing during hypoxia would lead to diaphragm fatigue and inadequate aerobic metabolism. Seven piglets were anesthetized by using halothane inhalation. Diaphragmatic contractility was assessed by transdiaphragmatic pressure (Pdi) at end expiration with the airway occluded. A nuclear magnetic resonance surface coil placed under the right hemidiaphragm measured Pi and PCr during four conditions: control, inspiratory resistive breathing (IRB), IRB with hypoxia, and recovery (IRB without hypoxia). IRB alone resulted in hypercarbia (32 ± 7 to 61 ± 21 Torr) and respiratory acidosis but no change in diaphragm force output or aerobic metabolism. Combined IRB and hypoxia resulted in decreased force output (Pdi decreased by 40%; from 30 ± 17 to 19 ± 11 mmHg) and evidence of metabolic stress (ratio of Pi to PCr increased by 290%; from 0.19 ± 0.09 to 0.74 ± 0.27). We conclude that diaphragm fatigue associated with inadequate aerobic oxidative metabolism occurs in the setting of loaded breathing and hypoxia. Conversely, aerobic metabolism and force output of the diaphragm remain unchanged from control during loaded normoxic or hyperoxic breathing despite the onset of respiratory failure.
inspiratory resistive breathing; respiratory muscle fatigue; transdiaphragmatic pressure; high-energy phosphates; energetics; phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance
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INTRODUCTION |
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RESPIRATORY FAILURE IS A COMMON finding in critically ill patients. Respiratory pump failure, defined as the inability to prevent CO2 retention, is often involved. Although mechanisms of pump failure are not fully understood, respiratory muscle dysfunction may be an important component in this process (23). The diaphragm is the major muscle of the respiratory system, and diaphragm fatigue may be of importance in the development of pump failure, contributing to acute respiratory failure and the inability to wean from mechanical ventilation (5, 20). Mechanisms proposed to explain the development of diaphragm fatigue include inadequate central activation, decreased neuromuscular conduction, peripheral muscle fatigue, and combinations of these. Study of the mechanisms of respiratory muscle fatigue and the interactions of peripheral muscle and the central control of ventilation have received high priority in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Workshop Summary on respiratory muscle fatigue (19).
The in vivo study of oxidative metabolism has been enhanced in recent years by the use of 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. This technique allows semicontinuous measurement of high-energy phosphates (3) and has been employed in studies of skeletal and cardiac muscle metabolism, but little has been published on in vivo diaphragm muscle metabolism.
After phrenic nerve stimulation in a piglet model, decreased force output correlates well with depleted high-energy phosphates in the diaphragm, indicating peripheral muscle fatigue (15). In contrast, evidence in a spontaneously breathing model with inspiratory resistive loading showed that respiratory failure with hypercapnea and respiratory acidosis occurs before the development of decreased force output or substrate depletion in the diaphragm (18). This finding agrees with other recent work (21) and supports the role of central and/or reflex mechanisms that affect the breathing pattern in response to resistive loading. Thus the role of peripheral fatigue remains unclear and may vary depending on the pathophysiological perturbations occurring in the clinical setting.
The effect of hypoxia on development of respiratory muscle fatigue is unclear, varying depending on the study (2, 4, 10, 12). To our knowledge no study has studied measures of diaphragm energetics repetitively in an attempt to correlate changes in diaphragm contractility during hypoxic inspiratory resistive breathing (IRB) with changes in high-energy-phosphate metabolism.
The present study was designed to study diaphragm metabolism via NMR spectroscopy in the presence of inspiratory resistive breathing and hypoxia. We have asked whether peripheral diaphragm fatigue associated with inadequate oxidative metabolism occurs in a model of IRB and superimposed hypoxia. This information might in turn shed light on the relationship between central and peripheral pump failure in the development of respiratory failure.
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METHODS |
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Animal preparation (Fig. 1).
Seven piglets, age 4-6 wk, weighing 13-17 kg, were initially
anesthetized with pentobarbital sodium (35-45 mg/kg ip). After cervical dissection and tracheostomy, anesthesia was maintained with
halothane inhalation (0.5-1.0%). The animals were mechanically ventilated for the remainder of the preparation phase via an animal respirator (Harvard Apparatus, South Natick, MA) with supplemental oxygen to maintain an arterial PCO2
(PaCO2) of 35-45 Torr
(4.7-6.0 kPa) and an arterial
PO2
(PaO2) >100 Torr (13.3 kPa). A
catheter was placed in the left internal carotid artery for blood
pressure monitoring and blood-gas determinations. A second catheter was
placed in the internal jugular vein for maintenance fluid and drug
administration. An air-filled (2-ml), balloon-tipped catheter was
advanced through a cervical esophagotomy to the midesophagus to measure
esophageal pressure (Pes). The catheter length was estimated from
external measurements, and placement was checked for cardiac
oscillations and then withdrawn slightly to ensure placement in the
midesophagus. Placement was verified at autopsy. Airway pressure (Paw)
was measured via a needle-tipped catheter inserted into the
endotracheal tube. A midline laparotomy was performed, and an identical
balloon-tipped catheter was positioned under the diaphragm in the left
upper quadrant and used to measure abdominal pressure (Pab). The
abdomen was then closed in layers. Pressure measurements were recorded via air-filled pressure transducers on a Gould strip-chart recorder (Gould Electronics, Cleveland, OH).
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Study protocol (Fig. 2).
The study protocol consisted of four study periods: control, IRB, IRB
with hypoxia, and recovery. After the surgical preparation, the animals
were positioned supine in the magnet during continued mechanical
ventilation and anesthesia. After the 20-min control period the animals
were switched to a spontaneous breathing circuit. Each animal then
underwent a period of IRB avoiding hypoxia, followed by a period of IRB
and hypoxia, and finally a recovery period with IRB and
normoxia-hyperoxia. The inspiratory resistive load consisted of a 2.0-mm-internal-diameter, 12-cm-long endotracheal tube
in the inspiratory limb of the circuit. The inspiratory and expiratory
limbs were separated using a Hans-Rudolph valve (model 1700, Kansas
City, MO). Resistance equaled 190 cmH2O · l
1 · min
at a flow of 2 l/min. This was found in preliminary experiments to be
the maximum resistance tolerated by the animals without provoking
respiratory arrest. In all but one animal this level of resistance led
to a Pdi during spontaneous IRB breathing that was >60% of the
maximum Pdi achieved by pacing.
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Measurements.
Mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate, and spontaneous Pes, Pab, and
Paw were monitored continuously. The diaphragm was paced for two to
three contractions at the end of each study period. Pacing parameters
included train duration 2,000 ms, respiratory rate 10 breaths/min,
stimulation frequency 30 Hz, duty cycle 0.33, and supramaximal voltage
determined for each animal. These parameters have been used previously
(16) and shown to not compromise diaphragm blood supply. Paced Pes,
Pab, and Paw were obtained from the resultant diaphragmatic
contractions. Transdiaphragmatic pressure (Pdi) was calculated as the
Pab
Pes. Pdi was measured via supramaximal phrenic
nerve stimulation of the diaphragm at end expiration [functional residual capacity (FRC)] with the airway occluded. This ensured near constant shape and geometry of the diaphragm before stimulation as
well as constant activation of the diaphragm independent of central
activation. Diaphragm fatigue was defined as a fall in Pdi > 20%
from baseline during pacing.
Statistical analysis. The study was designed to examine the effects of inspiratory resistive loading and hypoxia on the force output and oxidative metabolism of the diaphragm during spontaneous breathing. Primary effects determined were Pdi and Pi/PCr, as well as arterial pH, PaO2, and PaCO2. Statistical significance between groups was determined by t-tests and Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. P < 0.05 was considered significant. Data are expressed as means ± SD.
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RESULTS |
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The results are shown in Table 1. Heart rate
and MAP were unchanged during the studies. There was no
significant change in inspired halothane concentration or Ptp.
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The spontaneous respiratory rate decreased significantly with the application of the inspiratory resistance, decreased further during the period of hypoxia, and then returned to the IRB level during recovery. IRB resulted in a significant rise in PaCO2 and lowering in arterial pH, which then remained stable during the periods of IRB with hypoxia and recovery.
The paced Pdi as measured by phrenic nerve pacing decreased by 40%
during the period of IRB and hypoxia (27 ± 8 to 19 ± 11 mmHg),
consistent with our definition of fatigue (Fig.
3). This fall was due in large part to the
fall in paced Pes, which decreased to 66% of control (
23 ± 8 to
16 ± 10 mmHg). The paced Pab also fell to 65% of control,
but this was a much smaller change in absolute terms. In one animal the
paced Pdi increased from control to IRB. One explanation for this would
be that lung volume was not at FRC during the initial measurement,
possibly resulting in altered diaphragm shape and contractile
potential.
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The spontaneous Pdi increased in response to the inspiratory load and remained relatively constant during hypoxia and recovery. Interestingly, the paced Pdi did not exceed the spontaneous Pdi during IRB with hypoxia, suggesting that, for the given level of activation, force output was limited by factors intrinsic to the diaphragm.
Oxidative metabolism of the diaphragm, as measured by the
Pi/PCr, did not change significantly during the period of
IRB. In contrast, IRB and hypoxia did result in a significant change, because the Pi/PCr increased from 0.19 ± 0.09 to 0.74 ± 0.27, an increase of 290% (Fig. 4). During recovery the
Pi/PCr returned to the IRB level. In one animal magnetic
resonance data were not obtained during recovery because
there was relatively little metabolic change from IRB to IRB with
hypoxia, such that little change during recovery could be expected.
Serial 31P-NMR spectra from one experiment are shown in
Fig. 5.
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DISCUSSION |
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Main findings. The main findings of this study are 1) respiratory failure, defined as hypercarbia and respiratory acidosis, occurs before evidence of peripheral diaphragm fatigue during loaded breathing; 2) the addition of hypoxia to loaded breathing results in decreased force output capacity of the diaphragm; and 3) the reduction in force output capacity during hypoxic loaded breathing is associated with inadequate oxidative metabolism of the diaphragm. We conclude that the combination of loaded breathing and severe hypoxia results in peripheral diaphragm fatigue, which may in part be due to inadequate oxidative metabolism of the diaphragm.
Role of hypoxia and IRB. The relationship of hypoxia and inspiratory loading to the onset of respiratory failure has been examined by other authors. As early as 1981, Aubier et al. (1) found that hypoxia hastened the onset of respiratory muscle fatigue, but that study did not examine whether this resulted from central or peripheral mechanisms. Bark et al. (2), using an in vitro preparation, found diaphragm fatigue during the combination of severe hypoxia and fatiguing tension-time index, whereas fatigue did not occur during isolated hypoxia or increased load, and the study obviously did not examine spontaneous respiration. In contrast, a study in 1-mo-old piglets exposed to IRB and moderate hypoxia found no contribution of hypoxia to fatigue and no effect of hypoxia on metabolic state as assessed by single biopsy (14). More recently, Ciufo et al. (4) used a decerebrate rat model that eliminated central input and found evidence for peripheral muscle fatigue in response to inspiratory loading and postulated a possible role for oxygen-derived free radicals in the development of fatigue. Our study supports the contribution of IRB and hypoxia to respiratory failure and decreased diaphragm contractility during spontaneous breathing.
Metabolism and peripheral fatigue. The role of inadequate oxidative metabolism as a cause of skeletal muscle fatigue is clear. An analogous role for inadequate metabolism causing peripheral diaphragm fatigue, which contributes to respiratory failure, has not been proven as clearly. Nichols et al. (15) found that diaphragm fatigue caused by phrenic nerve pacing was associated with inadequate oxidative metabolism, suggesting an imbalance of diaphagm energy supply and demand. A further study comparing paced diaphagm contractions with loaded spontaneous breathing confirmed the association of peripheral fatigue with inadequate metabolism during pacing but did not find evidence for peripheral diaphragm fatigue during normoxic spontaneous breathing (18). Ferguson et al. (6) also found a relationship during pacing between contractile fatigue of the diaphragm and biochemical changes, indicating imbalance in muscle energetics (diaphragm glycogen depletion and lactate accumulation) but did not find these changes during spontaneous loaded breathing. The present study shows a relationship between peripheral contractile diaphragm fatigue and inadequate oxidative metabolism and seems to provide evidence for the first time for the contribution of peripheral muscle fatigue in failure of the respiratory system to maintain adequate gas exchange in the setting of spontaneous breathing with IRB and hypoxia. The fact that diaphragm fatigue can be attenuated in both an animal model (11) and clinical setting (22) by peripherally acting drugs also supports some component of peripheral fatigue.
Peripheral vs. central fatigue. The relative importance of this peripheral fatigue remains unclear. Although no measurement of central activation of the diaphragm has been made in this study, the results tend to support the role of central input in the development of respiratory failure before peripheral fatigue, in agreement with studies by Kanter and Fordyce (13) and Watchko et al. (24). These results are further supported by a recent study by Sassoon et al. (21) in which rabbits exposed to IRB developed respiratory failure with hypercarbia and hypoxia before diaphragm fatigue. Analogously, in the present study peripheral diaphragm fatigue becomes manifest after respiratory failure has already occurred. Interestingly, at this point the spontaneous Pdi is roughly the same as the paced Pdi. This seems to indicate that force output during IRB and hypoxia is near maximum for the given level of activation, and that force output is limited by inaquate peripheral oxidative metabolism. We speculate that central activation decreases initially, even to the point of respiratory failure, in effect decreasing metabolic demands and preventing peripheral fatigue, until the additional stress of hypoxia overwhelms this defense mechanism and leads to peripheral fatigue, evidenced by decreased diaphragm contractility.
If our results can be extrapolated to the clinical setting, it appears that hypercapneic respiratory failure may arise in response to an inspiratory load in the absence of diaphragm fatigue. Diaphragm fatigue in association with inadequate oxidative metabolism contributes to pump failure with the addition of a second stress in the form of severe hypoxia. We speculate that feedback mechanisms between the diaphragm and the brain stem respiratory center regulate diaphragm force output to preserve aerobic diaphragm metabolism rather than blood-gas homeostasis in the setting of a normoxic-hyperoxic inspiratory load. These protective mechansims may be overwhelmed in the face of severe hypoxia.Limitations. Several methodological limitations of this study should be observed. Although the present studies could not have been accomplished without anesthesia, there are obvious differences in the response of halothane-anesthetized animals to those which might be seen in an awake spontaneously breathing model (17). Because the structure and function of the diaphragm vary considerably with age and among species, broader generalization of these results from immature piglet diaphragm must be made with caution.
The protocol required a small laparotomy for placement of the NMR coil. Despite careful closure in layers, it is possible that diaphragm mechanics as well as activation are affected by the surgical preparation. During periods of control breathing and IRB, we did not distinguish between normoxia and hyperoxia. Recent work has shown, however, that variation in FIO2 outside the hypoxic range may influence cell metabolism (9). Whether this difference could affect the response to hypoxia is unknown. It could be argued that the observed diaphragm fatigue resulted from the prolonged IRB rather than the combination of IRB with hypoxia. Randomization was not used as we have previously studied IRB alone and were only interested in this study in imposition of hypoxia on existing IRB. In previous control studies, periods of up to 4 h of IRB were tolerated without signs of fatigue. Finally, the fact that the Pi/PCr improved during recovery, whereas IRB was maintained, also indicates the importance of IRB together with hypoxia as the cause of diaphragm fatigue. Because hypoxia was only studied superimposed on IRB, we cannot be certain that our findings did not result solely from the hypoxia regardless of the inspiratory load, but previous work indicates that this is not the case (2). The Pi/PCr reached one or greater in several but not all animals. Although substrate depletion occurred in several animals, explaining the decrease in force output, in other animals the Pi/PCr indicates metabolic stress without evidence of substrate depletion. Although the regulatory role of decreased PCr and increased Pi in leading to decreased force output remains unclear (7), it may be that metabolic stress is sufficient to contribute to decreased force output of the diaphragm. Factors other than inspiratory loading and hypoxia may have contributed to the observed diaphragm fatigue. The hypercarbia observed approaches levels that may have negative affects on diaphragm function (25). However, the fact that Pdi returned to control levels during recovery, despite persistent hypercarbia, argues against a significant contribution of hypercarbia to fatigue.Conclusions. In summary, inspiratory resistive breathing in the absence of hypoxia results in respiratory failure without impairment of diaphragm force output or metabolism, suggesting decreased central activation. Conversely, the addition of severe hypoxia to inspiratory resistive breathing results in peripheral diaphragm fatigue and inadequate oxidative metabolism of the diaphragm in this in vivo piglet model.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS |
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The authors gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Dr. Vadappuram Chacko in acquiring nuclear magnetic resonance spectra for several of the experiments.
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FOOTNOTES |
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This work was presented in part at American Thoracic Society International Conference, May 17-21, 1997.
The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. The article must therefore be hereby marked "advertisement" in accordance with 18 U.S.C. §1734 solely to indicate this fact.
Address for reprint requests and other correspondence: D. G. Nichols, Dept. of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, 600 N. Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21287-3711.
Received 16 December 1998; accepted in final form 8 November 1999.
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