Paulo Mesquita, PhD

Mechanical ventilation (MV) is often needed for survival in Intensive Care Units. The majority of patients receiving MV are older adults, who have higher death rates than younger adults. Although MV is lifesaving, it causes disuse atrophy of the diaphragm muscle. The diaphragm is the main respiratory muscle and thus critical for maintaining respiratory health. Despite the negative consequences of MV in older patients, our current knowledge is based on studies performed on young diaphragms. We have shown that older muscles have distinct features from young muscles and recover differently after periods of disuse. Therefore, it is essential to study the effects of and recovery from MV in older diaphragms. Our goal is to establish how older diaphragms differ from younger adult diaphragm after MV; and if rapamycin, a drug with positive effects in aged limb muscle, can improve this recovery process. We hope to improve the care of older patients in a way that increases their survival after MV.

Update: We have successfully received training in the techniques needed to complete this project, established and troubleshot the procedures at our laboratory, acquired the equipment, supplies, and animals. We have successfully completed data collection of 33 rats including controls and the group receiving mechanical ventilation. We have also acquired additional animals to increase the sample size of the adult groups and consequently increase our statistical power and ability to detect differences between groups.