PubMed · 16137447
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J M Marín, A Sánchez. 2004. [Bronchodilation in COPD. How can we increase efficiency?].. https://doi.org/10.1157/13077786
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Whole-body cryotherapy (WBC) is one mode of cold therapy, during which rheumatic patients are exposed to very cold air (-110 degrees C) in minimal clothing. It is also proposed to have a bronchodilatory effect. The aim was to examine the effects of WBC on lung function in healthy humans after acute and repeated exposures. Twenty-five healthy, non-smoking subjects participated in the study. They were exposed to WBC for 2 min three times per week for 12 weeks. The peak expiratory flow rate (PEF) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) were measured before and after (at 2 and 30 min) the first WBC, and then similarly at 4, 8 and 12 weeks. At all time points, after 30 min of the WBC the PEF values were slightly lower compared with values before the WBC, and the reductions reached statistical significance at 1 month (5.1 +/- 1.2%), and at 3 months (3.2 +/- 1.7%). After 30 min of the first WBC, the FEV1 was significantly reduced by 2.3 +/- 0.8%, but no other changes were observed during the study. In conclusion, the WBC induced minor bronchoconstriction in healthy humans instead of proposed bronchodilatation. The WBC seems not to be harmful for lung function, but should be used with caution in susceptible individuals.
We evaluated a 63-year-old woman who developed dyspnea with a sensation of chest tightness that was temporally associated with discharges from a vagus nerve stimulator that had been implanted for the control of intractable seizures. Spirometry demonstrated the development of significant airflow obstruction associated with the firing of the stimulator. Adjustment of the stimulator settings resolved the discharge-associated bronchoconstrictive phenomenon. These findings highlight an important association between vagus nerve stimulators and dyspnea that should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with these devices who present with dyspnea and/or chest tightness. The relative importance of vagal stimulation to bronchoconstriction is suggested by the findings.
Sensory nerves in the airways regulate central and local reflex events such as bronchoconstriction, airway plasma leakage, mucus secretion and cough. Sensory nerve activity can be enhanced during inflammation and, as a result, these protective reflexes become exacerbated and deleterious. The development of drugs that directly inhibit sensory nerve function has again become an attractive target for the pharmaceutical industry. In particular, the focus is on inhibition of the symptoms associated with airway inflammatory diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cough of any aetiology.