Compliance of Lung 2003

Pulmonary compliance (or lung compliance) is the ability of the lungs to stretch during a change in volume relative to an applied
change in pressure.
Compliance is calculated using the following equation, where V is the change in volume, and P is the change in pleural pressure c= V/ P
For example if a patient inhales 500 mL of air from a spirometer and intrapleural pressure before inspiration is 5 cm H2O and -10 cm H2O at the end of inspiration. Then:
C= .5/(-5-(-10)) L/cm H2O =0.1 L/cm H20 The total compliance of both lungs together in the normal adult human being averages about 200 milliliters of air per centimeter of water transpulmonarypressure.
More compliance means more air will flow for a given change in pressure. Reduced compliance means less air will flow for a given change in pressure. Steeper the line more compliant the lung, Restful breathing works on the steepest most compliant part of the lung With deeper inspiration the lung move toward the flatter part of the curve and thus will have the reduced compliance
In summary: compliance is the index of the effort required to expand the lung( to overcome recoil) It does not relate to airway resistance. Very compliant lung(easy to inflate ) have low recoil Stiff lung (difficult to inflate) have a large recoil force.
Components of lung recoil

1. The tissue itself, more specifically the collagen and elastin fibres of the lung. the greater is the stretch of the tissue the greater is the recoil force. One third force 2. The surface tension forces in the fluid lining the alveoli two third force. recoil force always try to collapse the lung or alveoli
fibrosis is associated with a decrease in pulmonary compliance.
emphysema/COPD may be associated with an increase in pulmonary compliance due to the loss of alveolar and elastic tissue
Surface tension
The surface tension acts at the air-water interface Surface tension forces tend to reduce the area of the surface and generate the pressure. In alveoli they act to collapse the alveoli. These forces contribute to the lung recoil. So surface tension force are the greatest component of lung recoil.
Law of laplace Pressure = 2surface tension

radius of alveoli surface tension in the alveoli is inversely affected by the radius of the alveolus, which means that the smaller the alveolus, the greater the alveolar pressure caused by the surface tension. Thus, when the alveoli have half the normal radius (50 instead of 100 micrometers), the pressures are doubled.
For the average-sized alveolus with a radius of about 100 micrometers and lined with normal surfactant, this calculates to be about 4 centimeters of water pressure (3 mm Hg). If the alveoli were lined with pure water without any surfactant, the pressure would calculate to be about 18 centimeters of water pressure, 4.5 times as great Thus, one sees how important surfactant is in reducing alveolar surface tension and therefore also reducing the effort required by the respiratory muscles to expand the lungs.
Pulmonary surfactant
Pulmonary surfactant is a surface-active lipoprotein complex (phospholipoprotein) formed by type II alveolar cells surface active agent in water, which means that it greatly reduces the surface tension of water
Composition
~40% dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) 40% other phospholipids (PC); ~5% surfactant-associated proteins (SP-A, B, C and D); Cholesterol (neutral lipids); Traces of other substances.
Function
To increase pulmonary compliance. To prevent atelectasis (collapse of the lung) at the end of expiration It reduces capillary filtration forces and thus reduces the tendency to develop pulmonary edema.
Diseases
Infant respiratory distress syndrome (IRDS) is caused by lack of surfactant, commonly suffered by premature babies born before 28 32 weeks of gestation. Hyaline membrane disease is an older term for IRDS. It is based on the pathological findings at autopsy of premature infants. The hyaline membranes were proteinaceous material in the damaged alveoli. Congenital surfactant deficiency

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Pulmonary compliance (or lung compliance) is the ability of the lungs to stretch during a change in volume relative to an applied

Components of lung recoil

fibrosis is associated with a decrease in pulmonary compliance.

Law of laplace Pressure = 2surface tension

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