The influence of pulmonary vascular pressures on lung diffusing capacity during incremental exercise in healthy aging

Alveolar‐capillary surface area for pulmonary gas exchange falls with aging, causing a reduction in lung diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO). However, during exercise additional factors may influence DLCO, including pulmonary blood flow and pulmonary vascular pressures. First, we sought to...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physiological reports 2018-01, Vol.6 (2), p.e13565-n/a
Main Authors: Coffman, Kirsten E., Curry, Timothy B., Dietz, Niki M., Chase, Steven C., Carlson, Alex R., Ziegler, Briana L., Johnson, Bruce D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
Ageing and Degeneration
Aging
Alveoli
Blood flow
Blood Pressure
Carbon monoxide
Endurance and Performance
Exercise - physiology
Female
Gas exchange
Healthy Aging - physiology
Heart diseases
Hemodynamics
Humans
Lung - blood supply
Lung diffusing capacity
Lungs
Male
Older people
Original Research
Physiology
Pressure
Pulmonary arteries
Pulmonary artery
pulmonary artery pressure
pulmonary capillary recruitment
Pulmonary Circulation - physiology
Pulmonary Diffusing Capacity - physiology
pulmonary hemodynamics
Respiratory Physiology
Sildenafil
Smooth muscle
transpulmonary gradient
Vascular Resistance - physiology
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Summary:Alveolar‐capillary surface area for pulmonary gas exchange falls with aging, causing a reduction in lung diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO). However, during exercise additional factors may influence DLCO, including pulmonary blood flow and pulmonary vascular pressures. First, we sought to determine the age‐dependent effect of incremental exercise on pulmonary vascular pressures and DLCO. We also aimed to investigate the dependence of DLCO on pulmonary vascular pressures during exercise via sildenafil administration to reduce pulmonary smooth muscle tone. Nine younger (27 ± 4 years) and nine older (70 ± 3 years) healthy subjects performed seven 5‐min exercise stages at rest, 0 (unloaded), 10, 15, 30, 50, and 70% of peak workload before and after sildenafil. DLCO, cardiac output (Q), and pulmonary artery and wedge pressure (mPAP and mPCWP; subset of participants) were collected at each stage. mPAP was higher (P = 0.029) and DLCO was lower (P = 0.009) throughout exercise in older adults; however, the rate of rise in mPAP and DLCO with increasing Q was not different. A reduction in pulmonary smooth muscle tone via sildenafil administration reduced mPAP, mPCWP, and the transpulmonary gradient (TPG = mPAP–mPCWP) in younger and older subjects (P 
ISSN:2051-817X
DOI:10.14814/phy2.13565