scholarly journals Pulmonary ventilation–perfusion mismatch: a novel hypothesis for how diving vertebrates may avoid the bends

2018 ◽  
Vol 285 (1877) ◽  
pp. 20180482 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Garcia Párraga ◽  
Michael Moore ◽  
Andreas Fahlman
Keyword(s):  
Gas Exchange ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Decompression Sickness ◽  
Large Fraction ◽  
Pulmonary Ventilation ◽  
Flow Distribution ◽  
Theoretical Modelling ◽  
Breath Hold ◽  
Air Breathing ◽  
Marine Vertebrates

Hydrostatic lung compression in diving marine mammals, with collapsing alveoli blocking gas exchange at depth, has been the main theoretical basis for limiting N 2 uptake and avoiding gas emboli (GE) as they ascend. However, studies of beached and bycaught cetaceans and sea turtles imply that air-breathing marine vertebrates may, under unusual circumstances, develop GE that result in decompression sickness (DCS) symptoms. Theoretical modelling of tissue and blood gas dynamics of breath-hold divers suggests that changes in perfusion and blood flow distribution may also play a significant role. The results from the modelling work suggest that our current understanding of diving physiology in many species is poor, as the models predict blood and tissue N 2 levels that would result in severe DCS symptoms (chokes, paralysis and death) in a large fraction of natural dive profiles. In this review, we combine published results from marine mammals and turtles to propose alternative mechanisms for how marine vertebrates control gas exchange in the lung, through management of the pulmonary distribution of alveolar ventilation ( ) and cardiac output/lung perfusion ( ), varying the level of in different regions of the lung. Man-made disturbances, causing stress, could alter the mismatch level in the lung, resulting in an abnormally elevated uptake of N 2 , increasing the risk for GE. Our hypothesis provides avenues for new areas of research, offers an explanation for how sonar exposure may alter physiology causing GE and provides a new mechanism for how air-breathing marine vertebrates usually avoid the diving-related problems observed in human divers.

scholarly journals Deadly diving? Physiological and behavioural management of decompression stress in diving mammals

2011 ◽  
Vol 279 (1731) ◽  
pp. 1041-1050 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. K. Hooker ◽  
A. Fahlman ◽  
M. J. Moore ◽  
N. Aguilar de Soto ◽  
Y. Bernaldo de Quirós ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Marine Mammal ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Multiple Stressors ◽  
Decompression Sickness ◽  
Tissue Injury ◽  
Bubble Formation ◽  
Gas Bubbles ◽  
Breath Hold ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
Measured Time

Decompression sickness (DCS; ‘the bends’) is a disease associated with gas uptake at pressure. The basic pathology and cause are relatively well known to human divers. Breath-hold diving marine mammals were thought to be relatively immune to DCS owing to multiple anatomical, physiological and behavioural adaptations that reduce nitrogen gas (N 2 ) loading during dives. However, recent observations have shown that gas bubbles may form and tissue injury may occur in marine mammals under certain circumstances. Gas kinetic models based on measured time-depth profiles further suggest the potential occurrence of high blood and tissue N 2 tensions. We review evidence for gas-bubble incidence in marine mammal tissues and discuss the theory behind gas loading and bubble formation. We suggest that diving mammals vary their physiological responses according to multiple stressors, and that the perspective on marine mammal diving physiology should change from simply minimizing N 2 loading to management of the N 2 load . This suggests several avenues for further study, ranging from the effects of gas bubbles at molecular, cellular and organ function levels, to comparative studies relating the presence/absence of gas bubbles to diving behaviour. Technological advances in imaging and remote instrumentation are likely to advance this field in coming years.

Unsteady-state gas exchange and storage in diving marine mammals: the harbor porpoise and gray seal

2001 ◽  
Vol 281 (2) ◽  
pp. R490-R494 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. G. Boutilier ◽  
J. Z. Reed ◽  
M. A. Fedak
Keyword(s):  
Gas Exchange ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Lung Ventilation ◽  
The Body ◽  
Breath Hold ◽  
Unsteady State ◽  
Harbor Porpoise ◽  
Per Se ◽  
End Tidal ◽  
And Storage

Breath-by-breath measurements of end-tidal O2 and CO2 concentrations in harbor porpoise reveal that the respiratory gas exchange ratio (RR; CO2 output/O2 uptake) of the first lung ventilation in a breathing bout after a prolonged breath-hold is always well below the animal's metabolic respiratory quotient (RQ) of 0.85. Thus the longest apneic pauses are always followed by an initial breath having a very low RR(0.6–0.7), which thereafter increases with each subsequent breath to values in excess of 1.2. Although the O2 stores of the body are fully readjusted after the first three to four breaths following a prolonged apneic pause, a further three to four ventilations are always needed, not to load more O2 but to eliminate built-up levels of CO2. The slower readjustment of CO2 stores relates to their greater magnitude and to the fact that they must be mobilized from comparatively large and chemically complex HCO[Formula: see text]/CO2 stores that are built up in the blood and tissues during the breath-hold. These data, and similar measurements on gray seals (12), indicate that it is the readjustment of metabolic RQ and not O2 stores per se that governs the amount of time an animal must spend ventilating at the surface after a dive.

Gas Exchange and Ventilatory Responses to Hypoxia and Hypercapnia in Amphisbaena Alba (Reptilia: Amphisbaenia)

1987 ◽  
Vol 127 (1) ◽  
pp. 159-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
AUGUSTO S. ABE ◽  
KJELL JOHANSEN
Keyword(s):  
Gas Exchange ◽  
Oxygen Uptake ◽  
Large Fraction ◽  
Breath Hold ◽  
Low Oxygen ◽  
Hold Period ◽  
Ventilatory Responses ◽  
Variable Duration ◽  
End Tidal ◽  
A Minor

1. Total and cutaneous gas exchange and ventilatory responses to breathing hypoxic and hypercapnic gases were studied in Amphisbaena alba (Linnaeus), a burrowing squamate reptile. 2. This species shows a very low oxygen uptake rate (VO2) compared with other squamates of the same size (VO2 = 15.4, 36.2 and 49.0 mlkg−1 h−1 at 20, 25 and 30°C, respectively). Cutaneous gas exchange represents a large fraction of the total uptake. Oxygen uptake was strongly affected by temperature [Q10 = 5.5 (20–25°C); 1.8 (25–30°C); 3.2 (20–30°C)]. 3. A. alba shows a biphasic ventilatory pattern under hypoxic and hypercapnic conditions. A single breathing cycle, consisting of expiration-inspiration, includes a ventilatory period (VP) followed by a non-ventilatory (breath hold) period (NVP) of variable duration. When breathing air at 25°C the NVP typically occupied about 2 min. The ventilatory period occupied only 0.075 parts of a complete breath-tobreath cycle. Breathing hypoxic gases caused a pronounced rise in ventilation volume (Ve) from an increase in tidal volume (Vt) and frequency (f) at inspired O2 concentrations below 7%. Breathing hypercapnic gas mixtures induced a minor change in Vt at CO2 concentrations below 3%, and Ve increased mostly because of increases in f. End tidal O2 (PetOO2) and CO2 (PetOO2) tensions changed with increasing VE while breathing hypoxic and hypercapnic gas. 4. The results are discussed in relation to the fossorial habits of A. alba, and are compared with data from other squamates.

scholarly journals Postnatal development of diving physiology: implications of anthropogenic disturbance for immature marine mammals

2020 ◽  
Vol 223 (17) ◽  
pp. jeb227736
Author(s):  
Shawn R. Noren
Keyword(s):  
Postnatal Development ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Decompression Sickness ◽  
Swimming Performance ◽  
Small Body ◽  
Food Limitation ◽  
Breath Hold ◽  
Oxygen Utilization ◽  
Diving Physiology ◽  
Oxygen Stores

ABSTRACTMarine mammals endure extended breath-holds while performing active behaviors, which has fascinated scientists for over a century. It is now known that these animals have large onboard oxygen stores and utilize oxygen-conserving mechanisms to prolong aerobically supported dives to great depths, while typically avoiding (or tolerating) hypoxia, hypercarbia, acidosis and decompression sickness (DCS). Over the last few decades, research has revealed that diving physiology is underdeveloped at birth. Here, I review the postnatal development of the body's oxygen stores, cardiorespiratory system and other attributes of diving physiology for pinnipeds and cetaceans to assess how physiological immaturity makes young marine mammals vulnerable to disturbance. Generally, the duration required for body oxygen stores to mature varies across species in accordance with the maternal dependency period, which can be over 2 years long in some species. However, some Arctic and deep-diving species achieve mature oxygen stores comparatively early in life (prior to weaning). Accelerated development in these species supports survival during prolonged hypoxic periods when calves accompany their mothers under sea ice and to the bathypelagic zone, respectively. Studies on oxygen utilization patterns and heart rates while diving are limited, but the data indicate that immature marine mammals have a limited capacity to regulate heart rate (and hence oxygen utilization) during breath-hold. Underdeveloped diving physiology, in combination with small body size, limits diving and swimming performance. This makes immature marine mammals particularly vulnerable to mortality during periods of food limitation, habitat alterations associated with global climate change, fishery interactions and other anthropogenic disturbances, such as exposure to sonar.

Control of arrhythmic breathing in bimodal breathers: Amphibia

1988 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert G. Boutilier
Keyword(s):  
Control System ◽  
Gas Exchange ◽  
Lung Ventilation ◽  
Breath Holding ◽  
Breath Hold ◽  
Breathing Patterns ◽  
Gas Exchanges ◽  
Air Breathing ◽  
Activity State ◽  
Breath Pattern

Amphibians employ a system of gas exchange whereby various combinations of the lungs, gills, and skin are used to exploit gas exchanges in both air and water (bimodal breathing). Continuous lung ventilation is rarely observed in these animals. Instead, the dominant breath pattern is arrhythmic in nature and is believed to have evolved in response to a periodic need to supplement aquatic gas exchange. Such a need is largely dependent on the activity state of the animal concerned and its capacity for aquatic gas exchange. The overall control system appears to be one that turns lung ventilation on and off by trigger signals arising from chemo- and mechano-sensitive receptors responding to changing conditions during periods of breath holding and breathing. In amphibians in which the aquatic exchanger is a major avenue for CO2 elimination, [Formula: see text] levels in the lungs and blood do not change substantially in the latter stages of a breath hold. Under these conditions falling levels of oxygen may be the primary stimulus to terminate the breath hold and initiate breathing. There is, however, some interaction between the two gases since elevated CO2 levels affect the sensitivity of the predominantly O2-mediated response. Another major component in determining air-breathing patterns in these animals is their ability to delay the onset of breathing when certain behavioural activities take precedence over the need for additional gas exchange.

Rise and fall in diversity of Neogene marine vertebrates on the temperate Pacific coast of South America

Paleobiology ◽  
10.1666/13069 ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 659-674 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaime A. Villafaña ◽  
Marcelo M. Rivadeneira
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Pacific Coast ◽  
Large Fraction ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
Taxonomic Structure ◽  
Extinction Rates ◽  
Marine Vertebrates ◽  
Stratigraphic Ranges ◽  
Large Pulse

Even though Neogene outcrops along the temperate Pacific coast of South America harbor a rich marine vertebrate fossil record, no studies have examined the diversification patterns of these taxa. Here, we analyze diversification trends based on the stratigraphic ranges of 86 genera of marine vertebrates, including sharks, rays, chimaeras, marine mammals, and seabirds. The richness of genera shows a hump-shaped trend, with maximum values around the late Miocene, driven by a large pulse of origination during mid-Miocene and higher extinction rates during the Pliocene. Trends varied markedly among taxa and departed largely from expectations based on global diversification patterns. Moreover, these trends cannot be explained solely as a sampling artifact derived from sampling intensity (i.e., number of occurrences) or sedimentary rock availably (i.e., number of geologic maps). A large fraction of genera (42%) went globally extinct by the late Pliocene–Pleistocene, and the extinction was highly selective according to different ecological and life-history traits. An analysis using “randomForest” showed that taxonomic structure and the geographic midpoint of distribution could explain up to 83% of extinction of genera. The extinction was taxonomically clumped (i.e., disproportionally high in Cetacea and very low in Carcharhiniformes) and concentrated in the northern area of the temperate Pacific coast of South America. Our results suggest that the particular paleogeographic, paleoclimatic, and paleoceanographic events that took place during the Neogene along the temperate Pacific coast of South America had a significant effect on the structure of marine biodiversity.

Hyperbaric treatment of air or gas embolism: current recommendations

2019 ◽  
pp. 673-683
Author(s):  
Richard E. Moon ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Animal Studies ◽  
Decompression Sickness ◽  
Bubble Formation ◽  
Endothelial Damage ◽  
Neurological Deficits ◽  
Breath Hold ◽  
Gas Embolism ◽  
Hyperbaric Treatment ◽  
Pulmonary Capillaries ◽  
Venous Gas Embolism

Gas can enter arteries (arterial gas embolism, AGE) due to alveolar-capillary disruption (caused by pulmonary over-pressurization, e.g. breath-hold ascent by divers) or veins (venous gas embolism, VGE) as a result of tissue bubble formation due to decompression (diving, altitude exposure) or during certain surgical procedures where capillary hydrostatic pressure at the incision site is subatmospheric. Both AGE and VGE can be caused by iatrogenic gas injection. AGE usually produces stroke-like manifestations, such as impaired consciousness, confusion, seizures and focal neurological deficits. Small amounts of VGE are often tolerated due to filtration by pulmonary capillaries; however VGE can cause pulmonary edema, cardiac “vapor lock” and AGE due to transpulmonary passage or right-to-left shunt through a patient foramen ovale. Intravascular gas can cause arterial obstruction or endothelial damage and secondary vasospasm and capillary leak. Vascular gas is frequently not visible with radiographic imaging, which should not be used to exclude the diagnosis of AGE. Isolated VGE usually requires no treatment; AGE treatment is similar to decompression sickness (DCS), with first aid oxygen then hyperbaric oxygen. Although cerebral AGE (CAGE) often causes intracranial hypertension, animal studies have failed to demonstrate a benefit of induced hypocapnia. An evidence-based review of adjunctive therapies is presented.

Mechanisms of improvement in pulmonary gas exchange during isovolemic hemodilution

1999 ◽  
Vol 87 (1) ◽  
pp. 132-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Deem ◽  
Richard G. Hedges ◽  
Steven McKinney ◽  
Nayak L. Polissar ◽  
Michael K. Alberts ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Flow ◽  
Fractal Dimension ◽  
Gas Exchange ◽  
Spatial Correlation ◽  
Pulmonary Blood Flow ◽  
Minute Ventilation ◽  
Flow Distribution ◽  
Pulmonary Gas Exchange ◽  
Normal Lung ◽  
Blood Flow Distribution

Severe anemia is associated with remarkable stability of pulmonary gas exchange (S. Deem, M. K. Alberts, M. J. Bishop, A. Bidani, and E. R. Swenson. J. Appl. Physiol. 83: 240–246, 1997), although the factors that contribute to this stability have not been studied in detail. In the present study, 10 Flemish Giant rabbits were anesthetized, paralyzed, and mechanically ventilated at a fixed minute ventilation. Serial hemodilution was performed in five rabbits by simultaneous withdrawal of blood and infusion of an equal volume of 6% hetastarch; five rabbits were followed over a comparable time. Ventilation-perfusion (V˙a/Q˙) relationships were studied by using the multiple inert-gas-elimination technique, and pulmonary blood flow distribution was assessed by using fluorescent microspheres. Expired nitric oxide (NO) was measured by chemiluminescence. Hemodilution resulted in a linear fall in hematocrit over time, from 30 ± 1.6 to 11 ± 1%. Anemia was associated with an increase in arterial [Formula: see text] in comparison with controls ( P < 0.01 between groups). The improvement in O2 exchange was associated with reducedV˙a/Q˙heterogeneity, a reduction in the fractal dimension of pulmonary blood flow ( P = 0.04), and a relative increase in the spatial correlation of pulmonary blood flow ( P = 0.04). Expired NO increased with anemia, whereas it remained stable in control animals ( P < 0.0001 between groups). Anemia results in improved gas exchange in the normal lung as a result of an improvement in overallV˙a/Q˙matching. In turn, this may be a result of favorable changes in pulmonary blood flow distribution, as assessed by the fractal dimension and spatial correlation of blood flow and as a result of increased NO availability.

scholarly journals Are extreme asymptotic giant branch stars post-common envelope binaries?

2021 ◽  
Vol 502 (1) ◽  
pp. L35-L39
Author(s):  
F Dell’Agli ◽  
E Marini ◽  
F D’Antona ◽  
P Ventura ◽  
M A T Groenewegen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Fraction ◽  
Carbon Star ◽  
Large Magellanic Cloud ◽  
Asymptotic Giant Branch ◽  
Theoretical Modelling ◽  
Binary Interaction ◽  
Spectral Energy ◽  
Small Subset ◽  
Stellar Radius ◽  
Common Envelope

ABSTRACT Modelling dust formation in single stars evolving through the carbon-star stage of the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) reproduces well the mid-infrared colours and magnitudes of most of the C-rich sources in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), apart from a small subset of extremely red objects (EROs). An analysis of the spectral energy distributions of EROs suggests the presence of large quantities of dust, which demand gas densities in the outflow significantly higher than expected from theoretical modelling. We propose that binary interaction mechanisms that involve common envelope (CE) evolution could be a possible explanation for these peculiar stars; the CE phase is favoured by the rapid growth of the stellar radius occurring after C/O overcomes unity. Our modelling of the dust provides results consistent with the observations for mass-loss rates $\dot{M} \sim 5\times 10^{-4}\,{\rm M}_{\odot }$ yr−1, a lower limit to the rapid loss of the envelope experienced in the CE phase. We propose that EROs could possibly hide binaries with orbital periods of about days and are likely to be responsible for a large fraction of the dust production rate in galaxies.

Allometry of diving capacity in air-breathing vertebrates

1997 ◽  
Vol 75 (3) ◽  
pp. 339-358 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason F. Schreer ◽  
Kit M. Kovacs
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
Allometric Relationship ◽  
Air Breathing ◽  
Diving Depth ◽  
Maximum Duration ◽  
Phocid Seals ◽  
Bird Group ◽  
Taxonomic Groups

Maximum diving depths and durations were examined in relation to body mass for birds, marine mammals, and marine turtles. There were strong allometric relationships between these parameters (log10 transformed) among air-breathing vertebrates (r = 0.71, n = 111 for depth; r = 0.84, n = 121 for duration), although there was considerable scatter around the regression lines. Many of the smaller taxonomic groups also had a strong allometric relationship between diving capacity (maximum depth and duration) and body mass. Notable exceptions were mysticete cetaceans and diving/flying birds, which displayed no relationship between maximum diving depth and body mass, and otariid seals, which showed no relationship between maximum diving depth or duration and body mass. Within the diving/flying bird group, only alcids showed a significant relationship (r = 0.81, n = 9 for depth). The diving capacities of penguins had the highest correlations with body mass (r = 0.81, n = 11 for depth; r = 0.93, n = 9 for duration), followed by those of odontocete cetaceans (r = 0.75, n = 21 for depth; r = 0.84, n = 22 for duration) and phocid seals (r = 0.70, n = 15 for depth; r = 0.59, n = 16 for duration). Mysticete cetaceans showed a strong relationship between maximum duration and body mass (r = 0.84, n = 9). Comparisons across the various groups indicated that alcids, penguins, and phocids are all exceptional divers relative to their masses and that mysticete cetaceans dive to shallower depths and for shorter periods than would be predicted from their size. Differences among groups, as well as the lack of relationships within some groups, could often be explained by factors such as the various ecological feeding niches these groups exploit, or by variations in the methods used to record their behavior.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document