Respiratory load compensation in awake and sleeping dogs

We have investigated immediate and progressive ventilatory responses to external elastic loads in five dogs with cervical vagal loops. Three dogs were studied while awake (W) and during non-REM sleep (S); the other two during barbiturate anesthesia (A). Elastic loads were applied at the end expiration for 1–6 breaths by having the dogs breathe from a rigid container (partial load) or against an occluded airway (infinite load). “Effective” elastance (EE) was determined from the tidal volume (VT)-tracheal pressure relationships of the unloaded, partially loaded, and infinitely loaded breaths. Passive thoracic elastance during W and S averaged 16.7 cmH2O/1. EE averaged 55.8 cmH2O/1 during W, 54.7 during S, and 59.5 during A. Vagal blockade (VB) induced large changes in VT but no change in EE in W or S; during A, EE decreased 37.5%. With sustained loading (partial) there was a progressive increase in VT but a corresponding increase in chemical (primarily hypoxic) respiratory drive, so that EE remained constant during five loaded breaths. VB augmented the progressive increase in VT during W or S but virtually abolished the increase in A. Thus the responses to elastic loads in W and S are similar and independent of conscious reactions or vagal influence; responses during A differ considerably. “Progressive load compensation” is a reflection of increasing of increasing chemical drive and not of progressive changes in EE.