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Updated: Jul 9, 2026
07:13
Phenotyping Mouse Pulmonary Function In Vivo with the Lung Diffusing Capacity
Published on: January 6, 2015
Role of diffusion screening in pulmonary diseases
Bernard Sapoval1, Marcel Filoche
1Ecole Polytechnique, C.N.R.S., Laboratoire de Physique de la Matière Condensée, 91128 Palaiseau, France. bernard.sapoval@polytechnique.edu
Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology
|December 19, 2007
Summary
The acinus offers partial protection against lung diseases at rest due to screening effects. This protection is lost during exercise when the acinus functions at total efficiency.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonary physiology
- Respiratory mechanics
- Gas exchange dynamics
Background:
- The acinus, the functional unit of the lung, exhibits partial efficiency under normal resting conditions.
- This inefficiency is attributed to a
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the screening effect in the pulmonary acinus and its implications for respiratory health.
- To determine the conditions under which the acinus is fully or partially efficient in gas transport.
Main Methods:
- Modeling of gas transport within the acinus.
- Analysis of oxygen diffusivity, membrane resistance, and acinar dimensions.
- Examination of the convection-diffusion transition point.
Main Results:
- Screening effects, influenced by diffusion and membrane resistance, limit acinar efficiency at rest.
- These effects provide partial protection against mild pulmonary diseases like emphysema, asthma, COPD, and edema.
- During exercise, the acinus achieves total efficiency, eliminating the protective screening effects.
Conclusions:
- Acinar screening effects offer a degree of protection against certain lung conditions during rest.
- The protective role of screening is diminished or absent during physical exertion.
- Understanding these dynamics is crucial for respiratory medicine and disease management.
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