Single-breath diffusing capacity of NO independent of inspiratory NO concentration in rabbits

Pulmonary diffusing capacity of NO (DLNO) was determined by performing single-breath experiments on six anesthetized paralyzed supine rabbits, applying inspiratory concentrations of NO (FINO) within a range of 10 parts per million (ppm) < or = FINO < or = 800 ppm. Starting from residual volume, the rabbit lungs were inflated by 50 ml of a NO-nitrogen-containing indicator gas mixture. Breath-holding time was set at 0.1, 1, 3, 5, and 7 s. Alveolar partial pressure of NO was determined by analyzing the end-tidal portion from expirates, with the use of respiratory mass spectrometry. In the six animals, pulmonary diffusing capacity of NO averaged DLNO = 1.92 +/- 0.21 ml.mmHg-1.min-1 (mean +/- SD value). Despite extreme variations in FINO, we found very similar DLNO values, and in three rabbits we found identical values even at such different FINO levels of 80 ppm or 500, 20, or 200 ppm as well as 10 or 800 ppm. There was also no dependence of DLNO on the respective duration of the single-breath maneuvers. In addition, the time course of NO removal from alveolar space was independent of applied FINO levels. These results suggest that DLNO determinations are neither affected by chemical reactions of NO in alveolar gas phase as well as in lung tissue nor biased by endogenous release of NO from pulmonary tissue. It is our conclusion that the single-breath diffusing capacity of NO is able to provide a measure of alveolar-capillary gas conductance that is not influenced by the biochemical reactions of NO.