Effects of prolonged inflation on pulmonary stretch receptor discharge in turtles

The tonic and phasic discharge characteristics of single, slowly adapting pulmonary stretch receptors (SAR) were examined before and after 1 h periods of constant pressure inflation to normal resting (VLr, pressure = 0 cm H2O) and elevated (VLe, pressure = 10 cm H2O) lung volumes in turtles (Chrysemys sp.). Based on their discharge at VLr, SAR were classified as either low (n = 13) or high threshold (n = 4) receptors. Inflations were performed with both air and 5% CO2 in air. Lung gas composition and arterial PCO2 and pH were measured during the maintained inflations. In animals ventilated with air, low and high threshold receptors adapted by 57 and 30% respectively over the first 3 min at VLe. During the remainder of the 1 h period, the discharge of low threshold SAR fell an additional 20% while that of the high threshold SAR remained relatively constant. There were significant increases in both alveolar and arterial PCO2 during the maintained inflations. Ventilation with 5% CO2 reduced the static discharge levels of low and high threshold SAR by 10 and 25% respectively, suggesting that a part of the apparent adaptation of these receptors to maintained inflation for 1 h with air was due to the accumulation of metabolic CO2. Following 1 h of maintained inflation, the phasic responses to pump ventilation were decreased in low threshold SAR but remained unchanged in high threshold SAR. The static discharge associated with step inflation was unchanged in both receptor groups. The data suggest that increased SAR discharge is sustained indefinitely during increased lung volume and may account for persistent changes in breathing pattern previously observed during chronic changes in lung volume.