APStracts 3:0569A, 1996.

Pulmonary diffusing capacity and pulmonary capillary blood volume during parabolic flights. Vaida, Pierre, Christian Kays, Daniel Rivi[grave]ere, Pierre T[acute]echou Yres, and Jean-Luc Lachaud. Laboratoire de Physiologie. M[acute]edecine A[acute]erospatiale, Universit[acute]e Bordeaux 2. F 33076 BORDEAUX Cedex. FRANCE, Laboratoire des Adaptations de l'Organisme [grave]a l'Exercice Musculaire, UFR M[acute]edecine Toulouse-Purpan. F 31073 TOULOUSE Cedex. FRANCE

APStracts 3:0569A, 1996.

Data from the Spacelab Life Sciences-1 mission (SLS-1) have shown sustained but moderate increase in pulmonary diffusing capacity (DL). Due to the occupational constraints of the mission, data were only obtained after 24 hours of exposure to microgravity. Parabolic flights are often used to study some effects of microgravity, and we measured changes in DL occurring at the very onset of weightlessness. Measurements of DL, Dm (membrane diffusing capacity) and Vc (pulmonary capillary blood volume) were made in ten male subjects during the 20 second 0Gz phases of parabolic flights performed by the "zero G" Caravelle aircraft. Using the standardized single breath technique, we measured DL for CO (carbon monoxide) and nitric oxide (NO) simultaneously .

Received 19 March 1996; accepted in final form 21 November 1996.
APS Manuscript Number A271-6.
Article publication pending Journal of Applied Physiology.
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1996 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 31 December 1996