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Alveolar epithelial integrity in athletes with exercise-induced hypoxemia
M R Edwards1, G S Hunte, A S Belzberg
1Allan McGavin Sports Medicine Centre and School of Human Kinetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3.
Journal of Applied Physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985)
|September 28, 2000
Summary
Pulmonary clearance rate (k) of aerosolized technetium-99m diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid ((99m)Tc-DTPA) remained unchanged after maximal exercise in cyclists. Exercise-induced hypoxemia did not affect alveolar epithelial integrity.
Area of Science:
- Exercise Physiology
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Nuclear Medicine
Background:
- Pulmonary epithelial permeability can be assessed using aerosolized tracers like (99m)Tc-DTPA.
- Maximal exercise can induce physiological changes impacting lung function and gas exchange.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of maximal exercise on pulmonary clearance rate (k) of (99m)Tc-DTPA.
- To examine the relationship between pulmonary clearance rate (k) and arterial oxygen partial pressure (PaO2) during heavy exercise.
Main Methods:
- Ten highly trained male cyclists underwent a maximal oxygen uptake test followed by a pulmonary clearance test.
- Arterial blood gases were sampled at rest and during exercise.
- Pulmonary clearance rate (k) was measured using aerosolized (99m)Tc-DTPA.
Main Results:
- No significant difference was found between resting and post-exercise pulmonary clearance rates (k).
- No significant linear relationship was observed between the change in pulmonary clearance rate (k) and minimum PaO2 during exercise.
- Exercise-induced hypoxemia occurred in subjects despite unchanged alveolar epithelial integrity.
Conclusions:
- Maximal exercise to exhaustion does not significantly alter the overall pulmonary clearance of (99m)Tc-DTPA in trained cyclists.
- The observed lack of correlation suggests that exercise-induced hypoxemia occurs independently of significant changes in alveolar epithelial permeability.