Eur Respir J 2002; 19:859-864
Copyright ©ERS Journals Ltd 2002
Nasal and oral contribution to inhaled and exhaled nitric oxide: a study in tracheotomized patients
D.C.F. Törnberg1,
H. Marteus2,
U. Schedin3,
K. Alving2,
J.O.N. Lundberg2 and
E. Weitzberg1
1 Dept of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Karolinska Hospital, 2 Dept of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institute, and 3 Dept of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Danderyds Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
CORRESPONDENCE: D.C.F. Törnberg, Dept of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Karolinska Hospital, S-171 76, Stockholm, Sweden. Fax: 46 8307795. E-mail: danieltornberg@hotmail.com
Keywords: exhalation, expired, inhalation, pulmonary, respiration
Received: August 17, 2001
Accepted December 10, 2001
The present study was supported by grants from the Swedish Medical Research Council (12585, 12586), the Swedish Heart Lung Foundation (41310), the AGA AB Medical Research Fund and the Karolinska Institute.
Nitric oxide (NO) is produced at different sites in the human airways and may have several physiological effects. Orally-produced NO seems to contribute to the levels found in exhaled air. Autoinhalation of nasal NO increases oxygenation and reduces pulmonary artery pressure in humans. The aim of this study was to measure the concentration and output of NO during nasal, oral and tracheal controlled exhalation and inhalation.
Ten tracheotomized patients and seven healthy subjects were studied. The mean±sem fraction of exhaled NO from the nose, mouth and trachea was 56±8, 14±4 and 6±1 parts per billion (ppb), respectively. During single-breath nasal, oral and tracheal inhalation the fraction of inhaled NO was 64±14, 11±3 and 4±1, respectively. There was a marked flow dependency on nasal NO output in the healthy subjects, which was four-fold greater at the higher flow rates, during inhalation when compared to exhalation.
There is a substantial contribution of nasal and oral nitric oxide during both inhalation and exhalation. Nasal nitric oxide output is markedly higher during inhalation, reaching levels similar to those that are found to have clinical effects in the trachea. These findings have implications for the measurement of nitric oxide in exhaled air and the physiological effects of autoinhaled endogenous nitric oxide.
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Copyright © 2002 by the European Respiratory Society.
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