EFFECTS OF NEURAL DRIVES ON BREATHING IN THE AWAKE STATE IN HUMANS

 

Guy Longobardo, Carlo J. Evangelisti, Neil S. Cherniack*

 

Departments of Medicine and Pharmacology/Physiology, UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, 185 So. Orange Ave., MSB/C-692, Newark, New Jersey 07103

 

 

 


APPENDIX

                                                                   System Equations

 The Controller

 

                                                                             Nomenclature

Symbol                                                                                                                                        Value

AF                         Alertness Factor, lit/minute

DIST                     Incremantal ventilation above normal after a disturbance, lit/min

Dp                         Peripheral ventilatory drive, lit/min

Dc                         Central ventilatory drive, lit/min

Dchem                  Chemical drive, Dp+Dc, lit/min

HVD                     Hypoxic Ventilatory Depression, lit/min

HVDEQ                HVD equilibrium value, lit/min

PSPP                      PSP equilibrium value, lit/min

PSP_Th                PSP Threshold, lit/min

PSP                       Post-stimulus potential, lit/min

PaCO2                             Partial pressure of CO2 in the arterial blood, mm Hg

PvBCO2                           Partial pressure of CO2 in and leaving the brain, mm Hg

SaO2                       Arterial oxygen saturation , %

tauHVD                 Hypoxic Ventilatory Depression time constant, min                                     2.5     minutes

tauPSPC                PSP module charging time constant, min                                                      0.125 minutes 

tauPSPD                PSP module discharging time constant, min                                                    0.25   minutes

TPCO2                  Threshold for arterial PCO2, mm Hg                                                                                          

TPCO2,B                 Threshold for brain PCO2, PvBCO2, mm Hg

 

A.1. The Controller

The controller input is the sum of the peripheral and central chemical drives from the Chemical Controller, the Alertness Factor, Hypoxic Ventilatory Depression, and Post-Stimulus Potential.

A.1.1 The Chemical Controller

               The chemical controller is a proportional controller whose inputs are arterial blood carbon dioxide tension and arterial oxygen tension measured at the peripheral sensor, and brain carbon dioxide tension, which is taken as the tension of the venous blood leaving the brain. The gas tension values at the chemical controller are delayed about 1 ˝ to 2 breaths in time from when they appeared at the lung, about 6 to 8 seconds. The output of the chemical controller is ventilation, in liters per minute. The output of the chemical controller can be augmented or diminished by the neural inputs such as alertness drives, post-stimulus potentiation, and also by hypoxic ventilatory depression all of which which are assumed to act centrally.

The equations immediately following define the chemical controller characteristic, the steady state ventilatory characteristic for chemical ventilation as a function of carbon dioxide tensions and oxygen saturation.

The responses of the chemical controller are defined in two regions separated by a “transition” PCO2 threshold, TPCO2. Controller carbon dioxide and oxygen gains are higher above the transition threshold and lower below the threshold.

For PaCO2  > TPCO2 ,

Dp, the peripheral ventilatory drive is

                                  Dp=0.124*(101.72-SaO2)*(PaCO2-31.123)-1.43 liters per minute

Dc the central ventilatory drive is

                           Dc=1.573*(PvBCO2-44.35) liters/minute

 

For PaCO2 <TPCO2,

Dp, the peripheral ventilatory drive is

                              Dp=[(0.124*(101.72-SaO2)*(TPCO2 -31.123)-1.43)/ TPCO2]*PaCO2>

Dc, the central drive is

Dc=[1.57*(TPCO2,B-44.35)/ TPCO2,B]*PvBCO2

TPCO2,B is the brain carbon dioxide tension at TPCO2 in the normoxic steady state.

The total chemical ventilatory drive, Dchem is

                                  Dchem=Dp+Dc

 

 

Above TPCO2 the controller gain for carbon dioxide is

                              CO2_Gain=0.124*(101.72-SaO2)+1.57 liters/minute/mm Hg increase in PaCO2

Below TPCO2 the controller gain for carbon dioxide is

                              CO2_Gain=0.124*(101.72-SaO2)*(TPCO2 -31.123)-1.43)/ TPCO2 +

                                                    1.57*(TPCO2 -44.35)/ TPCO2

A.1.2. The Alertness Factor

The alertness factor (AF) includes all the internal and external stimuli that affect ventilation independent of PCO2, PO2, and ventilation level. It includes the wakefulness drive described by other authors, and as such it can vary with time as during transition states between wakefulness and sleep and during sleep.

An alertness factor of –11.5 liters/minute, which we consider to correspond to deep NREM sleep, results in an equilibrium PaCO2 of 44.24 mm Hg, a change of about 5 mm Hg from the awake state (AF= -0).  We recognize that alertness factors can be less than that, as in anesthesia, coma or death.  For the current model an alertness factor equivalent to -2 liters/minute with a TPCO2 of 36.75 mm Hg. yields hyperventilation results consistent with the work of Meah and Gardner.  This value is 1/2 mm Hg above where the peripheral and brain threshold at normal PaO2 (relative to arterial pressure) would be without a transition TPCO2. Figure 2 shows the effect on ventilation for different alertness drives.

Shown in Table I are the equilibrium values resulting from the interaction between the chemical controller and alertness drive. The ventilation can't be set without assuming some value for the wakefulness drive. The choice is arbitrary, and we have chosen the zero alertness drive as the awake state where the total ventilation axis is the same as the zero chemical ventilation axis.                               

A.1.3 Hypoxic Ventilatory Depression

The magnitude of hypoxic ventilatory depression, HVD is saturation and time dependent.

To describe HVD a third order response to hypoxia was used with three equal time constants of 2.5 minutes, with an equilibrium value of  HVDEQ=35* (normoxic_saturation-SaO2). For normoxic saturation values of 99.3%, and saturation during hypoxia of 78 % this amounts to an equilibrium depression of about 7.5 liters/minute. In this model, with 10% fiO2, saturation was 78%, PaO2 37.5 mm Hg and PaCO2, 29 mmHg the loss is 55% of the initial increase.

The equations for the development of HVD are

Dhvd1=(1./(tau))*((HVDEQ)-hvd1);

Dhvd2=(1./(tau))*(hvd1-hvd2);

DHVD=delt*(1.0/(tau))*(hvd2-HVD);

D signifies the time derivative.

A.1.4 Post-Stimulus Potentiation

               Post-stimulus potentiation, PSP is simulated using the equations for an R-C circuit. As a disturbance increases ventilation, the module charges toward an equilibrium potential equal to the incremental ventilation over normal caused by the disturbance. This charging occurs exponentially in time. During charging there is no effect on ventilation.  The module is gated however so that if there is a sudden drop in ventilation, the module "discharges”, again exponentially, allowing ventilation to fall gradually instead. 

The equilibrium potential for PSP at any time is

during charging

                                        DPSPP= (1/tauPSPC)*(DIST-PSPP)

and during discharging is

                                  DPSPP=(1/tauPSPD)*(-PSPP)

               PSP is made to disappear after about five minutes of hypoxia by the introduction of a PSP threshold, which increases with hypoxia and time. The threshold increases slowly during the first 2.5 minutes of hypoxia, and then rises rapidly during the next several minutes so that the PSP disappears by about 5 minutes.

                     PSP=PSPP-PSP_Th

Figure 3 shows the behavior of the PSP potential, the PSP threshold, and the PSP available over time when ventilation is disturbed.

A.1.5 Total Ventilation

               Total ventilation is the sum of the chemical drives, alertness factor, post stimulus potentiation less hypoxic ventilatory depression.

               Total Ventilation=Vchem+AF+PSP-HVD


System Equations

                                                        The Brain and Muscle

 

                                                                             Nomenclature

Symbol                                                                                                                                        Value

betavBCO2               dissociation slope of CO2 of blood leaving the brain, lit/lit/mmHg

betaBCO2               dissociation slope of CO2 in brain tissue, lit/lit/mmHg                        2/3*betaBCO2

betaMCO2               dissociation slope of CO2 in muscle tissue, lit/lit/mmHg

betaMO2               dissociation slope of O2 in muscle tissue, lit/lit/mmHg

CaBCO2               concentration of CO2 in blood entering the brain, lit/lit

CaBO2                  concentration of O2 in blood entering the brain, lit/lit

CvBCO2               concentration of CO2 in blood within and leaving the brain, lit/lit

CvBO2                  concentration of O2 in blood within and leaving the brain, lit/lit

CaMCO2               concentration of CO2 in blood entering the muscle, lit/lit

CaMO2                 concentration of O2 in blood entering the muscle, lit/lit

CvMCO2               concentration of CO2 in blood within and leaving the muscle, lit/lit

CvMO2                 concentration of O2 in blood within and leaving the muscle, lit/lit

MRBCO2               rate of production of CO2 in the brain, lit/min                                  0.04 lit/min

MRBO2                rate of consumption of O2 in the brain, lit/min                                  0.04 lit/min

MRMCO2               rate of production of CO2 in the muscle, lit/min                                  0.15 lit/min

MRMO2               rate of consumption of O2 in the muscle, lit/min                                  0.18 lit/min

PaBCO2                              partial pressure of CO2 in the blood entering the brain, mm Hg

Qdot                      cardiac output; Qdot=QdotB+QdotM, lit/min                                       6 liters/min

QdotB                   cerebral blood flow =0.038*PaBCO2+1/SaO2-1.42,  lit/min

QdotM                  rate of blood flow through the muscle; Qdot-QdotB, lit/min

VbB                       volume of blood in the brain, lit                                                             0.5 liters

VtiB                      volume of tissue in the brain,lit                                                              1.0 liter

VbM                      volume of blood in the muscle,lit                                                                         4.3 liters

VtiM                     volume of tissue in the muscle,lit

VtiM* betaMCO2                                                                                                                    0.00525 lit/mmHg

QBCO2                quantity of CO2 in the brain, lit

QBO2                   quantity of O2 in the brain, lit

QMCO2                              quantity of CO2 in the muscle, lit

QMO2                  quantity of O2 in the muscle, lit

 

A.2 The Body Stores

A.2.1 Brain and Muscle         

The body stores of carbon dioxide and oxygen are divided into compartments; the brain, the muscle and the lung compartment, which includes the anatomical dead space.

The compartments for the brain and for the muscle each consist of a pool of blood and tissue. In the compartment oxygen is removed from the blood and carbon dioxide produced.  The CO2 tension of venous blood leaving a compartment is assumed to be in chemical equilibrium with the tissue. The equations describing these compartments are first-order differential equations for the conservation of carbon dioxide and oxygen. For either brain or muscle tissue

 

The quantity of CO2 in the brain is

QBCO2=VbB*CvBCO2 +VtiB*2/3*betaBCO2

The quantity of O2 in the brain

QBO2=VbB*CvBO2

 

The quantity of O2 in the muscle is

QMO2=VbM*CvMO2

The quantity of CO2 in the muscle is

 QBCO2=VbM*CvMCO2 +(VtiM*betavMCO2)

 

 

Cerebral blood flow is

QdotB=0.038*PaBCO2+1/SaO2-1.42

This formulation delivers a constant supply of oxygen to the brain when arterial saturation varies. At normal conditions cerebral blood flow is 1.096 liters per minute.

 

For brain, the conservation equations are

                              DQBO2=QdotB*(CaBO2-CvBO2)-MRBO2

                              DQBCO2=QdotB*(CaBCO2-CvBCO2)+MRBCO2

 

For muscle, the conservation equations are

                              DQMO2=QdotM*(CaMO2-CvMO2)-MRMO2

                              DQMCO2=QdotM*(CaMCO2-CvMCO2)+MRMCO2

 

               The brain time constant with rising arterial PCO2 at normal CO2 and oxygen levels is

70 seconds. The rise of PaCO2 during apnea is 6.4 mm Hg/min, which matches experiment.


System Equations

                                                           The Lung and Dead Space

 

                                                                                        Nomenclature

Symbol                                                                                                                                        Value

betaLO2                      dissociation slope of CO2 and O2 in lung gas, lit/lit/mm Hg

CaLCO2               concentration of CO2 in blood within and leaving the lung, lit/lit

CaLO2                  concentration of O2 in blood within and leaving the lung, lit/lit

CvLCO2               concentration of O2 in blood entering the lung, lit/lit

CvLO2                  concentration of CO2 in blood entering the lung, lit/lit

CvBO2                   concentration of CO2 in blood within and leaving the brain, lit/lit

CvBCO2                concentration of CO2 in blood within and leaving the brain, lit/lit

CvMO2                          concentration of CO2 in blood within and leaving the muscle, lit/lit

CvMCO2                       concentration of CO2 in blood within and leaving the muscle, lit/lit

DV                        dV/dt, rate of change of lung volume, ventilation, lit/min

FRC                      Functional residual capacity of the lung                                                     2.5 liters

PaLCO2                              partial pressure of CO2 in and leaving the lung, mmHg

PaLO2                  partial pressure of O2 in and leaving the lung, mmHg

Qdot                      cardiac output; Qdot=QdotB+QdotM, lit/min

QdotB                   cerebral blood flow, lit/min

                              QdotB=QdotB1*PaBCO2+(QdotB2/CaBO2)-QdotB3

QdotM                  rate of blood flow through the muscle, lit/min

QLCO2                 quantity of CO2 in the lung, lit

QLO2                   quantity of O2 in the lung,lit

VbL                       volume of blood in the lung, including lung tissue volume, lit                           0.22 liters

V                           volume of gas in the lung, lit

 

A.2.2 The Lung and Dead Space

The lung compartment has two regions; blood and gas. The time varying components are the total quantities of O2 and CO2 in the compartment and quantities of O2 and CO2 in the incoming venous blood and air. The outputs are the concentrations in the blood of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the arterial blood leaving and the corresponding partial pressures. The model assumes equality of partial pressure in the two regions.  The average lung volume is 2.5 liters, and the anatomical dead space is 0.15 liters.

 

               The concentrations of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the venous blood are the merged outputs from the muscle and the brain.

 

         CvLO2=(QdotB*CvBO2+QdotM*CvMO2)/Qdot;

         CvLCO2=(QdotB*CvBCO2+QdotM*CvMCO2)/Qdot;

 

               To calculate the rates of change needed to conserve mass

during inspiration,

 

DQLCO2=Qdot*CvLCO2-Qdot*CaLCO2+DV*fiCO2*f2c+DV*PaLCO2*betaLCO2+DV*PaLEXCO2*betaLCO2*f1c;

DQLCO2=Qdot*CvLCO2-Qdot*CaLCO2+DV*betaLCO2*PaLCO2+ DV*fiCO2*f2c+PaLCO2EX/betaLCO2;

Switches f1c and f2c are set and changed as the dead space volume is reached.

 

and during expiration

 

         DQLO2=Qdot*CvLO2-Qdot*CaLO2+DV*betaLO2*PaLO2;

         DQLCO2=Qdot*CvLCO2-Qdot*CaLCO2+DV*betaLCO2*PaLCO2;

              

 

 

 

 

A.3.  Dissociation Curves

To relate a concentration to gas tensions the dissociation equations of Gomez are used. In these equations PO2 and PCO2 are the appropriate gas tensions, e.g. PvbCO2 and PaBCO2, and CO2 and CCO2 are the related concentrations, e.g., CvBO2 and CvBCO2.

 

         v=(0.004273+0.04326*pow(PCO2,-.532))*PO2;

         u=((30.0*v+2.8)*v+0.925)*v;

         CO2=0.200*u/(1+u)+3e-5*PO2;

         CCO2=(0.149-0.014*u/(1+u))*pow(PCO2,0.35);