Effect of ventilatory frequency on regional transpulmonary pressure in normal adults

The relation between the ventilatory frequency and the elastic (delta Pel) or resistive (delta Prs) components of changes of the regional pleural pressure (delta PL) was studied at functional residual capacity (FRC) in six normal adults. The regional delta PL was measured simultaneously at three levels in the esophagus using a three-balloon-catheter system. Elastic components of regional delta PL normalized by overall tidal volume (delta Pel/delta V) increased with frequency at all three balloon positions; the percentages of delta Pel/delta V at 60 breaths/min to those at zero frequency were 107, 119, and 157% in the upper, middle, and lower balloon, respectively. The resistive component of regional delta PL normalized by overall air flow (delta Prs/delta V) did not show significant dependence on frequency at any of the three positions and was almost the same everywhere. It is suggested that the increase of local delta Pel with frequency might reflect mainly the frequency dependence of local dynamic compliance (Cdyn) and that the change of the local Cdyn with frequency might be larger in dependent than in upper lung.