Differential timing of respiratory muscles in response to chemical stimuli in awake dogs

We assessed changes in respiratory muscle timing in response to hyperpnea and shortened inspiratory and expiratory times caused by chemoreceptor stimuli in six awake dogs. Durations of postinspiratory inspiratory activity of costal and crural diaphragm (PIIA), the delay in diaphragm electromyogram (EMG) after the initiation of inspiratory airflow, postexpiratory expiratory activity of the transversus abdominis (PEEA), and the delay of abdominal expiratory muscle activity after the initiation of expiratory airflow were measured. In control, four out of six dogs showed PIIA [8-10% of expiratory time (TE)]; all showed delay of diaphragm [19% of inspiratory time (TI)], delay of abdominal muscle activation (21% of TE), and PEEA (24% of TI). Hypercapnia decreased PIIA (4-9% of TE), maintained diaphragm delay at near control values (23% of TI), increased PEEA (36% of TI), eliminated delay of abdominal muscle activation (4% of TE), and decreased end-expiratory lung volume (EELV). Hypocapnic hypoxia increased PIIA (24-25% of TE), eliminated diaphragm delay (3% of TI), eliminated PEEA (3% of TI), reduced delay of abdominal muscle activation (14% of TE), and increased EELV. Most of these effects of hypoxic hypocapnia vs. hypercapnia on the within-breath EMG timing parameters corresponded to differences in the magnitude of expiratory muscle activation. These changes exerted significant influences on flow rates and EELV.