help button home button
AJRCCM
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH
Published ahead of print on March 11, 2005, doi:10.1164/rccm.200408-998OC

Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., Volume 171, Number 11, June 2005, 1267-1271

A more recent version of this article appeared on June 1, 2005
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
200408-998OCv1
171/11/1267    most recent
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Myrianthefs, P. M
Right arrow Articles by Sznajder, J. I.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Myrianthefs, P. M
Right arrow Articles by Sznajder, J. I.

Submitted on August 2, 2004
Accepted on March 7, 2005

Hypocapnic but not Metabolic Alkalosis Impairs Alveolar Fluid Reabsorption

Pavlos M Myrianthefs1, Arturo Briva2, Emilia Lecuona3, Vidas Dumasius3, David H Rutschman4, Karen M Ridge5, George J Baltopoulos6, and Jacob Iasha Sznajder3*

1 Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Intensive Care Unit, KAT General Hospital, Athens University, Athens, Greece, 2 Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Departamento de Fisiopatologia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo, Uruguay, 3 Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA, 4 Department of Mathematics, Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, IL, USA, 5 Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Medical Service, Veterans Affairs, Chicago HealthCare System, Chicago, IL, USA, 6 Intensive Care Unit, KAT General Hospital, Athens University, Athens, Greece

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: j-sznajder{at}northwestern.edu.

Acid-base disturbances such as metabolic or respiratory alkalosis are relatively common in critically ill patients. We examined the effects of alkalosis (hypocapnic or metabolic alkalosis) on alveolar fluid reabsorption in the isolated and continuously perfused rat lung model. We found that alveolar fluid reabsorption after 1 hour was impaired by low levels of pCO2 (10 and 20 mmHg ) independent of pH levels (7.7 or 7.4). Additionaly, pCO2 higher of 30 mmHg or metabolic alkalosis did not have an effect on this process. The hypocapnia-mediated decrease of alveolar fluid reabsorption was associated with decreased Na,K-ATPase activity and protein abundance at the basolateral membranes of distal airspaces. The effect of low pCO2 on alveolar fluid reabsorption was reversible as clearance normalized after correcting the pCO2 back to normal levels. These data suggest that hypocapnic but not metabolic alkalosis impairs alveolar fluid reabsorption. Conceivably, correction of hypocapnic alkalosis in critically ill patients, may contribute to the normalization of lung ability to clear edema.
Key words: Na,K-ATPase, ion transport, hypocapnic alkalosis, alveolar epithelial cells, pulmonary edema




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med.Home page
E. B. Milbrandt, A. Ishizaka, and D. C. Angus
Update in critical care 2005.
Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., April 15, 2006; 173(8): 833 - 841.
[Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH
Proc. Am. Thorac. Soc. Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol.
Copyright © 2005 American Thoracic Society 		  ATS State of the Art Course 2008