Effect of tidal volume and frequency on the temporal fall in lung compliance

In this study we have investigated how changes in respiratory frequency and tidal volume in anesthetized dogs affect the fall in dynamic compliance (Cdyn) that occurs with time after a hyperinflation. Results showed that increasing frequency [at controlled arterial (PaCO2)] PCO2 from 16 to 32 breaths/min had no effect on either the rate of fall or the magnitude of the fall up to 1 h after the hyperinflation. However, increasing the tidal volume from 300 to 750 ml abolished the fall in Cdyn from 10 to 50 min after the hyperinflation; the fall within the first 10 min remained unchanged. We also examined the effect of a simulated "hyperinflation" on the compliance of strips of parenchymal tissue in vitro. This result indicated that in the absence of surface forces, parenchymal tissue demonstrates a fall in compliance, which is complete within 10 min. Overall our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that the fall in Cdyn after hyperinflation is a two-phase process. The initial rapid fall in Cdyn (i.e., within 10 min) may simply represent a passive recovery process from the hyperinflation stress on the parenchymal tissue. The slower fall occurring after 10 min likely results from progressive increases in surface tension, and this increase can apparently be blocked by increases in tidal volume.