Chest wall motion and distribution of inspired gas in anesthetized supine dogs

Changes in the anterior-posterior (AP) and lateral diameters of the rib cage and abdomen were assessed by magnetometry in seven anesthetized supine dogs during spontaneous respiration (SR) and mechanical ventilation after muscle paralysis (MV). Regional distribution of inspired gas was measured for both modes of ventilation by determining regional 133Xe clearances. Marked differences in chest wall motion were observed between SR and MV: during MV, the changes in lateral rib cage diameter from FRC to end inspiration were larger, and the changes in both abdominal diameters smaller than during SR. AP rib cage diameter changes were similar for both modes of ventilation. Inward motion of the lateral rib cage during initial inspiration was observed in four dogs during SR; it disappeared consistently with MV. Regional 133Xe clearances were not significantly different: there was no cephalocaudal gradient, and the vertical gradient in regional ventilation was similar with MV and SR. We conclude that significant changes in chest wall motion and shape are not necessarily associated with detectable differences in the distribution of regional ventilation.