Physiology and Pharmacology of Systems Flashcards
What are the pO2, haemoglobin O2 binding sites saturation, O2 content, pCO2 and CO2 content of venous blood?
pO2 = 40 mmHg Haemoglobin O2 binding sites saturation = 75% O2 content = 150 ml/L pCO2 = 46 mmHg CO2 content = 520 ml/L
What is the pressure in the vena cavae?
3-8 mmHg
What do the P, QRS and T segments represent?
P: atrial contraction
QRS: ventricular contraction
T: ventricular relaxation
What are the differences between APs in the SA node and in other areas of the heart?
SA node: pacemaker currents due to funny channels (If) + T-type Ca2+ channels–> reaching of threshold triggers Ca2+ entry through L-type Ca channels –> depolarization –> repolarization through K+ loss
Other areas: fast Na+ entry –> Ca2+ entry through L-type provides plateau –> K+ loss provides repolarization
What is the diffusion conduction speed in the atria, AV node, ventricles and from endocardium to epicardium?
Atria: 1 m/sec
AV node: 0.05 m/sec
Ventricular bundles: 4 m/sec
Endo to epi: 0.3 m/sec
What are the end diastolic and end systolic volumes?
End diastolic: 120 ml
End systolic: 50 ml
How do preload, afterload and ANS influence the frank-starling curve?
Increased preload: shifts up
Increased afterload: shifts down
SNS (beta1 receptors): shifts up
PNS (muscarinic): shifts down
What are the pO2, haemoglobin O2 binding sites saturation, O2 content, pCO2 and CO2 content of systemic arterious blood?
pO2 = 100 mmHg Haemoglobin O2 binding sites saturation = 97% O2 content = 200 ml/L pCO2 = 40 mmHg CO2 content = 480 ml/L
What are the formulas for MAP?
MAP = BP*TPR MAP = diastolic + (systolic-diastolic)/3
What is the incisura in pulse pressure due to?
Closure of aortic valve
What is the microcirculation?
Terminal arterioles, capillaries and post-capillary venules
What is the effect of orthostasis on CVP?
Blood pools in veins below the heart –> reduction in CVP and CO
How is the vascular system controlled by ANS?
SNS: vasocontriction (alpha1 receptors) in splanchnic, renal, cutaneous and muscle beds
ANS: vasodilation (muscarinic and NANC) in salivary glands, pancreas, intestinal mucosa, penis
Which stimuli lead to the release of NO by the endothelium?
Bradykinin, ATP, histamine, CO2, H+, ACh and blood flow
What are the actions of prostacyclin (PGI2) and endothelin?
PGI2: inhibits platelet aggregation
endothelin: vasoconstrictor at ETa receptors
How do vasodilating substances in the blood lead to SM relaxation?
sensed by receptors in endothelial cells:
NO-mediated:
1. increase in Ca2+ –> eNOS activation –> production of NO from L-arginine
2. NO diffuses into smooth muscle
3. Increase in cGMP –> decrease in Ca2+ –> relaxation
*increased flow directly activates eNOS
Hyperpolarization-mediated:
1. increase in Ca2+ –> Ca2+-activated K+ channels –> hyperpolarization
2. Hyperpolarization spreads through gap junctions to SM cells
3. decrease in Ca2+ in SM cells –> relaxation
How do vasoconstricting substances in the blood lead to SM constriction?
sensed by receptors in endothelial cells:
1. release of endothelin –> travels to SM cells –> contraction
Why does oxidative stress interfere with the ability of blood vessels to dilate?
Superoxide reacts with NO to form peroxynitrite
What are the cAMP mediated mechanisms of vasodilation?
Activation of beta2, PGI2 and adenosine receptors on vascular SMCs –> adenylate cyclase activation –> cAMP –> vasodilation
What is the action of EETS?
release by endothelium and activate K+ channels in SMCs –> vasodilation
What is autoregulation?
When blood flow in certain beds remains constant over a wide range of pressures due to myogenic response and effects of flow on local concentrations of metabolites
What is reactive hyperaemia?
When blood flow is occluded –> build up of metabolites –> vasodilation
Blood flow is restored –> wash out of metabolites –> return to original
Where are fenestrated and sinusoidal epithelia located?
Fenestrated: kidneys, joints, intestinal mucosa
Sinusoidal: liver, bone marrow and spleen
What does the reflection coefficient (sigma) represent?
Permeability of a substance; the higher the less permeable
What is the Starling equation and what are the normal values for feeding relaxed arterioles?
Described the net fluid movement:
Jv = (Pcap - Pint) - sigma(picap - piint)
Jv = (40 - 0) - sigma(27 - 10)
How does vasoconstriction affect hydrostatic capillary pressure?
Vasoconstriction leads to a decreased hydrostatic capillary pressure –> increased absorption of fluids from interstitium
What are lymphangions?
Afferent trunks of the lymphatic systems that run next to major blood vessels; contain smooth muscle and pacemaker cells that pump fluid forwards
What are the four things that directly influence cardiac output?
Preload, afterload, heart rate, contractility
What is compliance?
Change in volume given a change in pressure
What are the compensatory mechanisms activated by heart failure?
- Fall in BP –> decreased renal salt and water excretion –> increase in blood volume
- SNS and RAAS –> fluid retention, increased contractility and heart rate, and venoconstriction
- Greater venous blood volume and venoconstriction increases CVP
What is the effect of aterload on CO?
Initial decrease but then:
- More blood remains in heart –> increase EDV and pressure –> restoration of SV
- ANREP response (release of substances which increase calcium in myocytes)
- Depression of CO by the baroreceptor reflex
* Therefore little effect on CO
How is cardiac contractility defined?
Strength of contraction; amount and rate of cardiac tension development, and the ability of the heart to eject a stroke volume at a given preload and afterload; mainly regulated by calcium concentration in myocytes
What are the effects of sympathetic and parasympathetic stimulants on pacemaker APs?
Symp: increases If, faster rate of depolarisation, faster heart rate
Parasymp: decreases If, opens KAch channels, slower rate of diastolic depolarisation, slower heart rate
What is the duration of a neuronal AP?
500 microseconds
What is the duration of a cardiac AP?
200-400 msec
How is calcium extruded from the cardiac cell?
Na/Ca exchanger in cell membrane
What is duration of the AP roughly equal to in the ECG?
QT interval
What is the normal range in humans for the QT interva;?
350-380 msec
What are the two theories behind the generation of a regular pulse in pacemaker cells?
- Membrane clock: cyclical changes in ionic currents
2. Calcium clock: cyclical release of Ca from intracellular stores
What is the action of ivabradine?
Block If channels
How does anisotropic conduction in the heart travel?
along fibers rather than across them
What does Q represent?
Depolarization of the septum (towards the atria)
What does S represent?
depolarization of the ventricles towards the atria
What does T represent?
Repolarisation of the ventricles (towards endocardium)
What does the PQ interval tell us?
Atrial conduction and AV nodal delay; pathology: AV block
What does the QRS interval tell us?
The ventricular conduction velocity; pathology: bundle branch block
What does the ST segment tell us?
Heterogeneity of ventricle polarisation; pathology: myocardial infarction
What does the QT segment tell us?
Ventricular AP duration; pathology: long QT segment
Which accessory protein regulates SERCA?
phospholamban (PLB)
What are chronotropy, ionotropy and lusitropy?
chronotropy: heart rate
ionotropy: strength of contraction
lusitropy: rate of relaxation
What are examples of positive and negative chronotropic agents?
positive: adrenaline and noradrenaline
negative: ACh, adenosine
What are examples of positive ionotropic and lusitropic agents?
beta1 receptor stimulators (adrenaline and noradrenaline)
Which are the targets for PKA phosphorylation in the cardiac cell?
L-type Ca channels; RYR2; Pacemaker (membrane and ca clocks); Phospholamban (PLB) and phospholemman (PLM); Troponin I and myosin binding protein C
What does the integrated area bounded by a PV loop represent?
A measure of stroke work
How is the jugular venous pulse described and what are its waves and descents?
Biphasic:
A wave: atrial contraction;
X descent: atrial relaxation;
C wave: interruption of X descent cause by carotid pulse;
V wave: right atrial filling during ventricular systole and bulging of tricuspid valve;
Y descent: right atrial emptying during ventricular diastole, before contraction
How is the peripheral arterial pulse described and what are the factors that influence it?
Monophasic; influenced by: reflected waves, compliance, damping, interference and resonance
How do you measure CVP from jugular vein?
Needs to be <3 cm above manubriosternal angle when patient is at 45 degrees
How does the JVP look like in tricuspid stenosis?
A wave is enhanced and V wave is diminished
How does the JVP look like in tricuspid regurgitation?
V wave is enhanced and A wave is diminished
Which are the primary heart sounds?
S1: initiation of ventricular systole and AV closure, low frequency
S2: closure of semilunar valves, higher frequency and shorter
Which are the secondary heart sounds?
S3: opening of AV valves and rapid refilling
S4: atrial systole, only heard when EDP is raised
Which problems result in diastolic murmurs?
Mitral stenosis and aortic incompetence
Which problems result in systolic murmurs?
Aortic stenosis and mitral incompetence
What is the difference between internal and external respiration?
Internal respiration: exchange of gases between blood, interstitial fluid and cells
External respiration: exchange of gases between blood and external environment
What is Boyles law?
PV=constant; thus, decrease volume = increase in pressure
What is the intrapleural pressure at the resting end of expiration?
- 5 cmH2O
How are transmural pressures calculated?
pressure differential of the inside compartment minus the outside compartment
What is the transmural/transpulmonary pressure at resting end of expiration?
0-(-5) = +5 cmH2O
What does a high transpulmonary pressure indicate?
Work breathing difficulty is increased
What is the tidal volume?
Amount of air moved in one respiratory cycle (approximately 500 ml)
Which lung volumes cannot be measured by spirometry?
Total lung capacity, residual volume and functional residual capacity
What is dead space?
airway volume with no gas exchange (approximately 150 ml)
Anatomic: all except alveoli and respiratory bronchioles
Physiologic: anatomic + area where gas exchange is dysfunctional
How do you calculate alveolar ventilation?
Minute ventilation - dead space ventilation per minute = 7500 - (150*15) = 5250 ml/min
What are elastic and airway resistance?
Elastic: resistance to stretch of lung tissue and the air-liquid interface lining the alveoli
Airway: resistance due to friction between layers of flowing air and between the air and the airway walls
How can airway resistance be calculated?
(alveolar pressure - mouth pressure)/ airflow at mouth
What determines airway resistance?
Laminar flow and turbulence
Which are the airway components that contribute most to RAW?
Medium size bronchi around generation 3-5
What are the two main factors causing variation in RAW?
Factors within the airways: smooth muscle tone, inclammation, hypertrophy of mucous glands
Pressure across airway wall: positive intrapleural pressure
Which factors lead to bronchoconstriction?
- Vagal efferents: inhibited by pulmonary stretch receptors and stimulated by airway irritant receptors
- NANC nerves: SP and neurokinins
- Histamine, prostaglandins, leukotrienes
Which factors lead to bronchodilation?
- CO2
- NANC nerves: NO and VIP
- beta-adrenergic agonists (adrenaline and salbutamol)
What is the dynamic compression of airways due to?
At forced expiration, airway pressure falls below intrapleular pressure –> thus, forced expiration becomes effort independent
How do we measure lung compliance?
change in lung volume/transpulmonary pressure
How can intrapleural pressure be measured?
Through oesophageal balloon
How is lung volume measured?
With spirometer
What is the shape of the static pressure - volume loop and what does it indicate?
sigmoidal, lung compliance is highest at tidal volume
How do ephysema, lung fibrosis and neonatal respiratory distress syndrome affect lung compliance?
ephysema: high compliance
fibrosis: low compliance
neonatal respiratory distress syndrome: low compliance
What is bronchiolitis?
Thick, narrow bronchioles with excess mucous
What is the equation of laPlace?
pressure = 2surface tension/ radius
What is surfactant?
Produced by type II alveolar cells, a mixture of phospholipids (phosphatidylcholine) and surfactant proteins –> lowers surface tension of alveolar lining fluid –> prevents collapse of small alveoli into big alveoli + increases compliance + reduces tendency to suck fluid into alveoli
What are examples of obstructive pulmonary diseases?
Asthma, COPD (emphysema + chronic bronchitis)
What are examples of restrictive pulmonary diseases?
fibrosis, respiratory muscle weakness, phrenic nerve damage
How do you measure RAW?
Body plethysmograph or spirometer (peak flow or FEV vs time or forced vital capacity)
What is the normal forced expiratory ratio (FEV1/FVC)?
more than 75%
How do obstructive and restrictive pulmonary diseases affect FEV1, FVC and the forced expiratory ratio?
Obstructive: FEV1 decreased a lot, FVC decreased or normal, FEV/FVC decreased
Restrictive: FEV1 decreased, FVC decreased, FEV/FVC normal
How do lung fibrosis and emphysema affect functional residual capacity?
Fibrosis: reduces
Emphysema: increases
What is Dalton’s law?
in a mixture of non-reacting gases, the total pressure exerted is equal to the sum of partial pressures of the individual gases
How do you calculate partial pressure of oxygen?
PO2 = fractional concentration (FO2) * Pb
What is Henry’s law?
concentration of dissolved gas = k*partial pressure
How do the solubility constants of N2, O2 and CO2 relate to each other?
CO2 is >20 times O2
O2 is around 2x N2
What is the water vapour pressure in the lungs?
6.3 kPa (47 mmHg)
How do you calculate PIO2?
(Pb - 6.3)*0.209 kPa
How do you calculate PAO2?
PIO2 - (PACO2/R)
R = CO2 production/O2 consumption, usually around 0.8
What are the values of PO2 and PCO2 in mixed expired air and alveolar gas?
Mixed expired: 16 and 3.5 pKa
Alveolar: 13.5 and 5.3 pKa
1 pKa = 7.5 mmHg
Why does CO2 equilibrate rapidly despite having a much lower pressure gradient than O2?
Diffuses at 85% rate of O2 (higher MW), however 23 times more soluble than O2 –> 23*0.85 = 20 times faster than O2
What is Fick and Graham’s law?
rate of transfer of gas through a sheet of tissue = A(P1-P2)/T
T = thickness