The action of the canine diaphragm on the lower ribs depends on activation

Conventional wisdom maintains that the diaphragm lifts the lower ribs during isolated contraction. Recent studies in dogs have shown, however, that supramaximal, tetanic stimulation of the phrenic nerves displaces the lower ribs caudally and inward. In the present study, the hypothesis was tested that the action of the canine diaphragm on these ribs depends on the magnitude of muscle activation. Two experiments were performed. In the first, the C5 and C6 phrenic nerve roots were selectively stimulated in 6 animals with the airway occluded, and the level of diaphragm activation was altered by adjusting the stimulation frequency. In the second experiment, all the inspiratory intercostal muscles were severed in 7 spontaneously breathing animals, so that the diaphragm was the only muscle active during inspiration, and neural drive was increased by a succession of occluded breaths. The changes in airway opening pressure and the craniocaudal displacements of ribs 5 and 10 were measured in each animal. The data showed that 1) contraction of the diaphragm causes the upper ribs to move caudally; 2) during phrenic nerve stimulation, the lower ribs move cranially when the level of diaphragm activation is low, but they move caudally when the level of muscle activation is high and the entire rib cage is exposed to pleural pressure; and 3) during spontaneous diaphragm contraction, however, the lower ribs always move cranially, even when neural drive is elevated and the change in pleural pressure is large. It is concluded that the action of the diaphragm on the lower ribs depends on both the magnitude and the mode of muscle activation. These findings can reasonably explain the apparent discrepancies between previous studies. They also imply that observations made during phrenic nerve stimulation do not necessarily reflect the physiological action of the diaphragm.