Influence of mild pulmonary congestion on diaphragmatic mobility and activities of daily living in chronic kidney disease: An experimental and clinical study

BackgroundPulmonary congestion is a strong predictor of mortality and cardiovascular events in chronic kidney disease (CKD); however, the effects of the mild form on functionality have not yet been investigated. The objective of this study was to assess the influence of mild pulmonary congestion on diaphragmatic mobility (DM) and activities of daily living (ADL) in hemodialysis (HD) subjects, as well as compare ADL behavior on dialysis and non-dialysis days. In parallel, experimentally induce CKD in mice and analyze the resulting pulmonary and functional repercussions.MethodsThirty subjects in HD underwent thoracic and abdominal ultrasonography, anthropometric assessment, lung and kidney function, respiratory muscle strength assessment and symptoms analysis. To measure ADL a triaxial accelerometer was used over seven consecutive days. Twenty male mice were randomized in Control and CKD group. Thoracic ultrasonography, TNF-α analysis in kidney and lung tissue, exploratory behavior and functionality assessments were performed.ResultsMild pulmonary congestion caused a 26.1% decline in DM (R² = .261; P = .004) and 20% reduction in walking time (R² = .200; P = .01), indicating decreases of 2.23 mm and 1.54 min, respectively, for every unit increase in lung comet-tails. Regarding ADL, subjects exhibited statistically significant differences for standing (P = .002), walking (P = .034) and active time (P = .002), and number of steps taken (P = .01) on days with and without HD. In the experimental model, CKD resulted in increased levels of TNF-α on kidneys (P = .037) and lungs (P = .02), attenuation of exploratory behavior (P = .01) and significant decrease in traveled distance (P = .034). Thoracic ultrasonography of CKD mice showed presence of B-lines.ConclusionThe mild pulmonary congestion reduced DM and walking time in subjects undergoing HD. Individuals were less active on dialysis days. Furthermore, the experimental model implies that the presence of pulmonary congestion and inflammation may play a decisive role in the low physical and exploratory performance of CKD mice.