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Lung volumes, maximal expiratory flows, pulmonary resistance and static recoil pressure-volume curves were measured before and after inhalation of isoprenaline in four groups of subjects: heqlthy patients with mild and severe chronic bronchitis and asthmatics. The observed changes were qualitatively similar in the four groups. Whereas total lung capacity and dynamic compliance were not influenced, there was an increase in vital capacity (not in healthy subjects and mild bronchitics), in FEV1, in maximal expiratory flows and a decrease in pulmonary resistance. The static recoil pressure-volume relationship was shifted to the left over its ascending part. The effect of isoprenaline tended to be larger in patients. Among the latter, the increase of vital capacity was especially pronounced in the severe bronchitics, whereas the maximal flows increased most in asthmatics. We suggest that the influence of isoprenaline on maximal flows results from a bronchodilation, associated with an increased collapsibility of the central intrathoracic airways, whereas the influence of VC might reflect a delayed onset of small airway closure.

To clarify whether the radiographic estimate of total lung capacity (TLC) using the method of Barnhard et al., as modified by Loyd et al., yields accurate values, we measured TLC in 20 young healthy subjects with the above technique (Vb). We compared it to the more sophisticated radiologic method of Pierce et al. (Vp) and to plethysmographic measurements (Vbox). Plethysmographic results, 7.38 +/- 0.94 l (mean +/- SD) or 101.7% of predicted, were significantly higher than Vb (mean difference 0.53 +/- 0.68 l; p less than 0.005 by paired t test), but were not significantly different from Vp (mean difference 0.13 +/- 0.52 l). Based on these and previous data, we conclude that the Pierce et al. approach yields more accurate results than the Barnhard and Loyd method, although individual data, in both methods, should be interpreted cautiously.