Experimental evidence of age-related adaptive changes in human acinar airways
Open accessAbstract
The progressive decline of lung function with aging is associated with changes in lung structure at all levels, from conducting airways to acinar airways (alveolar ducts and sacs). While information on conducting airways is becoming available from computed tomography, in vivo information on the acinar airways is not conventionally available, even though acini occupy 95% of lung volume and serve as major gas exchange units of the lung. The objectives of this study are to measure morphometric parameters of lung acinar airways in living adult humans over a broad range of ages by using an innovative MRI-based technique, in vivo lung morphometry with hyperpolarized 3 He gas, and to determine the influence of age-related differences in acinar airway morphometry on lung function. Pulmonary function tests and MRI with hyperpolarized 3 He gas were performed on 24 healthy nonsmokers aged 19-71 years. The most significant age-related difference across this population was a 27% loss of alveolar depth, h, leading to a 46% increased acinar airway lumen radius, hence, decreased resistance to acinar air transport. Importantly, the data show a negative correlation between h and the pulmonary function measures forced expiratory volume in 1 s and forced vital capacity. In vivo lung morphometry provides unique information on age-related changes in lung microstructure and their influence on lung function. We hypothesize that the observed reduction of alveolar depth in subjects with advanced aging represents a remodeling process that might be a compensatory mechanism, without which the pulmonary functional decline due to other biological factors with advancing age would be significantly larger.
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The number of alveoli, alveolar ducts, and capillary segments remains constant at adulthood.
“Although the number of alveoli, alveolar ducts, and capillary segments remain constant at adulthood”
From Aging and Lung Disease (2020) · cites this paper as [6]
There is a marked increase in alveolar size and alveolar-capillary surface area with aging.
“there is a marked increase in alveolar size and alveolar-capillary surface area with aging (6).”
From Aging and Lung Disease (2020) · cites this paper as [6]
Alterations in alveolar depth and acinar airway lumen that occur during compensatory remodeling are associated with advanced age.
“Alterations in alveolar depth and acinar airway lumen that occur during compensatory remodeling are associated with advanced age (6).”
From Aging and Lung Disease (2020) · cites this paper as [6]
In healthy subjects, there are age-dependent differences in acinar microstructure.
“Noninvasive studies in healthy subjects have illustrated age-dependent differences in acinar microstructure (6).”
From Aging and Lung Disease (2020) · cites this paper as [6]
There is considerable change in lung structure and function with advancing age.
“There is considerable change in lung structure and function with advancing age (summarized in Supplemental Table 1).”
From Aging and Lung Disease (2020) · cites this paper as [6]
Normal lung aging is associated with multiple structural and functional changes in the respiratory tract.
“Normal lung aging is associated with multiple structural and functional changes in the respiratory tract (6, 10).”
From Aging and Lung Disease (2020) · cites this paper as [6]
Normal lung aging is characterized by increased collagen, which promotes age-related changes in elasticity and airspace enlargement.
“Normal lung aging is characterized by increased collagen, which promotes age-related changes in elasticity and airspace enlargement (6).”
From Aging and Lung Disease (2020) · cites this paper as [6]
Age-associated changes in the structure, function, and control of the respiratory system can greatly influence COPD susceptibility in older persons.
“Age-associated changes in the structure, function, and control of the respiratory system can greatly influence COPD susceptibility in older persons (6–10).”
From Aging and Lung Disease (2020) · cites this paper as [6]
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- Authors
- Quirk, J. D., Sukstanskii, A. L., Woods, J. C., Lutey, B. A., Conradi, M. S., Gierada, D. S., Yusen, R. D., Castro, M., & Yablonskiy, D. A.
- Affiliations
- Washington University in St. Louis (US)
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (US)
- Corresponding author
- Yablonskiy, Dmitriy A.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Journal of Applied Physiology
- Publisher
- American Physiological Society
- Published
- 2016-01-15
- Volume
- 120
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 159-165
- ISSN
- 0161-7567 (ISSN-L)
- 8750-7587
- 1522-1601
- PMC
- PMC4719056
- OpenAlex
- W2260365598
- Cited by
- 51
- References
- 56
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 3
- FWCI
- 2.37
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Journal of Applied Physiology (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- HHS | NIH | National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHBLI) (R01HL70037, R01HL091762)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics › Atomic and Subatomic Physics Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine › Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging › Advanced MRI Techniques and Applications
- Keywords
- aging, lung morphometry, hyperpolarized helium-3 MRI, lung function decline, lung microstructure, airway remodeling
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Physiological, Adult, Aged, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Helium, Humans, Lung, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Middle Aged, Cohort Studies, Young Adult, Acinar Cells
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