Comprehensive Analysis of Heat and Water Exchanges in the Human Lungs
This work presents a new mathematical model of the heat and water exchanges in the human lungs (newborn to adult). This model is based on a local description of the water and energy transports in both the lumen and the surrounding tissues, and is presented in a comprehensive, dimensionless framework...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-06-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Physiology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2021.649497/full |
| _version_ | 1819104318367727616 |
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| author | Benoit Haut Antoine Nonclercq Alexandra Buess Jérémy Rabineau Clément Rigaut Benjamin Sobac Benjamin Sobac |
| author_facet | Benoit Haut Antoine Nonclercq Alexandra Buess Jérémy Rabineau Clément Rigaut Benjamin Sobac Benjamin Sobac |
| author_sort | Benoit Haut |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This work presents a new mathematical model of the heat and water exchanges in the human lungs (newborn to adult). This model is based on a local description of the water and energy transports in both the lumen and the surrounding tissues, and is presented in a comprehensive, dimensionless framework with explicitly stated assumptions and a strong physiological background. The model is first used to analyze and quantify the key phenomena and dimensionless numbers governing these heat and water exchanges and then it is applied to an adult in various situations (varying atmospheric conditions, exercising…). The results highlight several interesting physiological elements. They show that the bronchial region of the lungs is able to condition the air in all the considered situations even if, sometimes, for instance when exercising, distal generations have to be involved. The model also shows that these distal generations are super-conditioners. Moreover, the results quantify the key role of the submucosal glands in mucus hydration. They also show that, during expiration, a significant cooling of the air and condensation of water occur along the respiratory tract as the vascularization of the tissues surrounding the airways is not able to maintain these tissues at body temperature during inspiration. Due to the interaction between several phenomena, it appears that the ratio of the amount of water returned to the mucosa during expiration to the amount extracted during inspiration is almost independent of the breathing conditions (around 33%). The results also show that, in acute situations, such as suffering from a pathology with airway dysfunction, when being intubated or when exercising above an intensity threshold, the heat and water exchanges in the lungs may be critical regarding mucus hydration. In proximal generations, the evaporation may overwhelm the ability of the submucosal glands to replenish the airway surface liquid with water. In some situations, the cooling of the mucosa may be very important; it can even become colder than the inspired air, due to evaporative cooling. Finally, the results show that breathing cold air can significantly increase the exchanges between the lungs and the environment, which can be critical regarding disease transmission. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T02:04:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9c5975629778497590ed5bbe7e74f661 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-042X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T02:04:27Z |
| publishDate | 2021-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Physiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-9c5975629778497590ed5bbe7e74f6612022-12-21T18:42:33ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Physiology1664-042X2021-06-011210.3389/fphys.2021.649497649497Comprehensive Analysis of Heat and Water Exchanges in the Human LungsBenoit Haut0Antoine Nonclercq1Alexandra Buess2Jérémy Rabineau3Clément Rigaut4Benjamin Sobac5Benjamin Sobac6Ecole Polytechnique de Bruxelles, Transfers, Interfaces and Processes (TIPs), Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, BelgiumEcole Polytechnique de Bruxelles, Bio, Electro and Mechanical Systems (BEAMS), Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, BelgiumEcole Polytechnique de Bruxelles, Transfers, Interfaces and Processes (TIPs), Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, BelgiumEcole Polytechnique de Bruxelles, Transfers, Interfaces and Processes (TIPs), Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, BelgiumEcole Polytechnique de Bruxelles, Transfers, Interfaces and Processes (TIPs), Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, BelgiumEcole Polytechnique de Bruxelles, Transfers, Interfaces and Processes (TIPs), Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, BelgiumUniversité de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, E2S UPPA, CNRS, Total, LFCR, Anglet, FranceThis work presents a new mathematical model of the heat and water exchanges in the human lungs (newborn to adult). This model is based on a local description of the water and energy transports in both the lumen and the surrounding tissues, and is presented in a comprehensive, dimensionless framework with explicitly stated assumptions and a strong physiological background. The model is first used to analyze and quantify the key phenomena and dimensionless numbers governing these heat and water exchanges and then it is applied to an adult in various situations (varying atmospheric conditions, exercising…). The results highlight several interesting physiological elements. They show that the bronchial region of the lungs is able to condition the air in all the considered situations even if, sometimes, for instance when exercising, distal generations have to be involved. The model also shows that these distal generations are super-conditioners. Moreover, the results quantify the key role of the submucosal glands in mucus hydration. They also show that, during expiration, a significant cooling of the air and condensation of water occur along the respiratory tract as the vascularization of the tissues surrounding the airways is not able to maintain these tissues at body temperature during inspiration. Due to the interaction between several phenomena, it appears that the ratio of the amount of water returned to the mucosa during expiration to the amount extracted during inspiration is almost independent of the breathing conditions (around 33%). The results also show that, in acute situations, such as suffering from a pathology with airway dysfunction, when being intubated or when exercising above an intensity threshold, the heat and water exchanges in the lungs may be critical regarding mucus hydration. In proximal generations, the evaporation may overwhelm the ability of the submucosal glands to replenish the airway surface liquid with water. In some situations, the cooling of the mucosa may be very important; it can even become colder than the inspired air, due to evaporative cooling. Finally, the results show that breathing cold air can significantly increase the exchanges between the lungs and the environment, which can be critical regarding disease transmission.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2021.649497/fullasthmacystic fibrosisevaporationexercisingheat and mass transfersscaling |
| spellingShingle | Benoit Haut Antoine Nonclercq Alexandra Buess Jérémy Rabineau Clément Rigaut Benjamin Sobac Benjamin Sobac Comprehensive Analysis of Heat and Water Exchanges in the Human Lungs Frontiers in Physiology asthma cystic fibrosis evaporation exercising heat and mass transfers scaling |
| title | Comprehensive Analysis of Heat and Water Exchanges in the Human Lungs |
| title_full | Comprehensive Analysis of Heat and Water Exchanges in the Human Lungs |
| title_fullStr | Comprehensive Analysis of Heat and Water Exchanges in the Human Lungs |
| title_full_unstemmed | Comprehensive Analysis of Heat and Water Exchanges in the Human Lungs |
| title_short | Comprehensive Analysis of Heat and Water Exchanges in the Human Lungs |
| title_sort | comprehensive analysis of heat and water exchanges in the human lungs |
| topic | asthma cystic fibrosis evaporation exercising heat and mass transfers scaling |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2021.649497/full |
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