J B West

Summary

Affiliation: University of California
Country: USA

Publications

  1. ncbi Role of the fragility of the pulmonary blood-gas barrier in the evolution of the pulmonary circulation
    John B West
    UCSD Dept of Medicine, 0623A, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA 92093 0623
    Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 304:R171-6. 2013
  2. ncbi High-altitude medicine
    John B West
    Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 0623, USA
    Am J Respir Crit Care Med 186:1229-37. 2012
  3. ncbi The physiological legacy of the Fenn, Rahn, and Otis school
    John B West
    Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 0623, USA
    Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 303:L845-51. 2012
  4. ncbi Internet-based course on pulmonary pathophysiology
    John B West
    Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, 92093 0623, USA
    Adv Physiol Educ 36:1-2. 2012
  5. ncbi A strategy for determining arterial blood gases on the summit of Mt. Everest
    Thomas F Catron
    Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 0623, USA
    BMC Physiol 6:3. 2006
  6. ncbi The physiologic basis of high-altitude diseases
    John B West
    Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0623, USA
    Ann Intern Med 141:789-800. 2004
  7. ncbi Robert Boyle's landmark book of 1660 with the first experiments on rarified air
    John B West
    Dept of Medicine 0623A, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093 0623, USA
    J Appl Physiol 98:31-9. 2005
  8. ncbi Paralysis and blindness during a balloon ascent to high altitude
    John B West
    Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093 0623, USA
    High Alt Med Biol 5:453-6. 2004
  9. ncbi How well designed is the human lung?
    John B West
    UCSD Department of Medicine, 0623A, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093 0623, USA
    Am J Respir Crit Care Med 173:583-4. 2006
  10. ncbi The honeycomb-like structure of the bird lung allows a uniquely thin blood-gas barrier
    John B West
    Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 0623, USA
    Respir Physiol Neurobiol 152:115-8. 2006

Research Grants

  1. STRESS FAILURE AND REMODELING IN PULMONARY CAPILLARIES
    John West; Fiscal Year: 2003
  2. Integrity of the Pulmonary Blood-Gas Barrier
    John West; Fiscal Year: 2007

Collaborators

Detail Information

Publications101 found, 100 shown here

  1. ncbi Role of the fragility of the pulmonary blood-gas barrier in the evolution of the pulmonary circulation
    John B West
    UCSD Dept of Medicine, 0623A, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA 92093 0623
    Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 304:R171-6. 2013
    ..The other was the high pulmonary capillary pressures that were inevitable before there was complete separation of the pulmonary and systemic circulations...
  2. ncbi High-altitude medicine
    John B West
    Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 0623, USA
    Am J Respir Crit Care Med 186:1229-37. 2012
    ..A hybrid approach combining both strategies shows promise but has never been used. Mines that are being developed at increasingly high altitudes pose great medical problems...
  3. ncbi The physiological legacy of the Fenn, Rahn, and Otis school
    John B West
    Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 0623, USA
    Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 303:L845-51. 2012
    ..This explosion of ideas from what initially appeared to be a poorly prepared group has lessons for us today...
  4. ncbi Internet-based course on pulmonary pathophysiology
    John B West
    Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, 92093 0623, USA
    Adv Physiol Educ 36:1-2. 2012
    ..It is hoped that these lectures will be useful to physiologists in that setting...
  5. ncbi A strategy for determining arterial blood gases on the summit of Mt. Everest
    Thomas F Catron
    Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 0623, USA
    BMC Physiol 6:3. 2006
    ....
  6. ncbi The physiologic basis of high-altitude diseases
    John B West
    Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0623, USA
    Ann Intern Med 141:789-800. 2004
  7. ncbi Robert Boyle's landmark book of 1660 with the first experiments on rarified air
    John B West
    Dept of Medicine 0623A, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093 0623, USA
    J Appl Physiol 98:31-9. 2005
    ..This classic book is brimming with enthusiasm and fresh ideas even for today and deserves to be better known...
  8. ncbi Paralysis and blindness during a balloon ascent to high altitude
    John B West
    Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093 0623, USA
    High Alt Med Biol 5:453-6. 2004
    ..Doherty suggested that they may have been caused by decompression sickness. However, this seems unlikely based on many reported cases of subatmospheric decompression sickness...
  9. ncbi How well designed is the human lung?
    John B West
    UCSD Department of Medicine, 0623A, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093 0623, USA
    Am J Respir Crit Care Med 173:583-4. 2006
  10. ncbi The honeycomb-like structure of the bird lung allows a uniquely thin blood-gas barrier
    John B West
    Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 0623, USA
    Respir Physiol Neurobiol 152:115-8. 2006
    ..This architecture is very different from that in the mammalian lung...
  11. ncbi A century of pulmonary gas exchange
    John B West
    Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, 92093-0623, USA
    Am J Respir Crit Care Med 169:897-902. 2004
  12. ncbi Vulnerability of pulmonary capillaries during exercise
    John B West
    Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093 0623, USA
    Exerc Sport Sci Rev 32:24-30. 2004
    ..Elite human athletes at maximal exercise develop changes in the structure of the capillary wall as evidenced by red blood cells in their alveoli. Racehorses routinely break their pulmonary capillaries while galloping...
  13. ncbi The physiological challenges of the 1952 Copenhagen poliomyelitis epidemic and a renaissance in clinical respiratory physiology
    John B West
    Dept of Medicine 0623A, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093 0623, USA
    J Appl Physiol 99:424-32. 2005
    ..An important development was the translation of the new knowledge from departments of physiology to the clinical setting. In many respects, this period was therefore the beginning of modern clinical respiratory physiology...
  14. ncbi Fetal lung development in the elephant reflects the adaptations required for snorkeling in adult life
    John B West
    Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093 0623, USA
    Respir Physiol Neurobiol 138:325-33. 2003
    ..This very early development of a thick parietal pleura in the elephant fetus is consistent with the hypothesis of a long history of snorkeling in the elephant's putative aquatic ancestors...
  15. ncbi Improving oxygenation at high altitude: acclimatization and O2 enrichment
    John B West
    Department of Medicine 0623A, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093 0623, USA
    High Alt Med Biol 4:389-98. 2003
    ..Full ventilatory acclimatization requires at least a week of continuous exposure, although much of the improvement is seen in the first 2 days...
  16. ncbi Thoughts on the pulmonary blood-gas barrier
    John B West
    UCSD Dept of Medicine 0623A, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA 92093 0623, USA
    Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 285:L501-13. 2003
    ..The mechanisms of this regulation remain to be elucidated and constitute one of the fundamental problems in lung biology...
  17. ncbi Failure on Everest: the oxygen equipment of the spring 1952 Swiss expedition
    John B West
    Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 0623, USA
    High Alt Med Biol 4:39-43. 2003
    ..It was argued that breathing oxygen during rest periods would suffice, but this was a fallacy as had been demonstrated by Kellas 30 years before...
  18. ncbi Thickness of the blood-gas barrier in premature and 1-day-old newborn rabbit lungs
    Zhenxing Fu
    Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 0623, USA
    Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 285:L130-6. 2003
    ....
  19. ncbi Acute mountain sickness
    John B West
    UCSD Department of Medicine, La Jolla 92093-0623, USA
    High Alt Med Biol 3:415-9. 2002
  20. ncbi The human lung: did evolution get it wrong?
    J B West
    UCSD Dept of Medicine 0623A, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093 0623, USA
    Eur Respir J 29:11-7. 2007
    ..From a structure-function standpoint, the bird lung is superior...
  21. ncbi Challenging the Altitudes: one-day conference on the history of altitude medicine, December 5, 2005, Manchester, UK
    John B West
    UCSD Dept. of Medicine 0623A, 9500 Gilman Dr. La Jolla, CA 92093-0623, USA
    High Alt Med Biol 7:90-1. 2006
  22. ncbi Centenary of the Anglo-American high-altitude expedition to Pikes Peak
    John B West
    Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 0623, USA
    Exp Physiol 97:1-9. 2012
    ..Indeed, her results of alveolar P(O(2)) and P(CO(2)) are frequently cited today. The Pikes Peak expedition was a model and it had an extensive influence on later studies...
  23. ncbi A Web-based course of lectures in respiratory physiology
    John B West
    Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, 92093 0623, USA
    Adv Physiol Educ 35:249-51. 2011
    ..The hope is that this comprehensive course of lectures will help students to assimilate this important material as the medical school curriculum continues to expand at a rapid rate...
  24. ncbi American medical research expedition to Everest
    John B West
    Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, 92093 0623, USA
    High Alt Med Biol 11:103-10. 2010
    ..These gave information on the control of ventilation, periodic breathing, blood physiology, cerebral function, and metabolism...
  25. ncbi Pulmonary artery pressure responses to increased cardiac output in chickens with raised metabolic rate
    John B West
    Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla CA 92093 0623, USA
    Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 156:430-5. 2010
    ..Furthermore the increase in pressure was less than in mammals where recruitment and distension of pulmonary capillaries are known to occur. The reasons for this unexpected result are not clear...
  26. ncbi Structure-function studies of blood and air capillaries in chicken lung using 3D electron microscopy
    John B West
    Department of Medicine, and National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 0623, USA
    Respir Physiol Neurobiol 170:202-9. 2010
    ..These EM studies show the supporting structures in greater detail than has previously been possible, particularly in 3D, and they allow a more complete analysis of the mechanical forces affecting avian pulmonary capillaries...
  27. ncbi Comparative physiology of the pulmonary blood-gas barrier: the unique avian solution
    John B West
    Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093 0623, USA
    Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 297:R1625-34. 2009
    ....
  28. ncbi A new approach to very-high-altitude land travel: the train to Lhasa, Tibet
    John B West
    Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
    Ann Intern Med 149:898-900. 2008
    ..The engineering challenge of oxygenating the whole train is immense but has been successfully accomplished. This is an extraordinary innovation in high-altitude transportation...
  29. ncbi Challenges in teaching the mechanics of breathing to medical and graduate students
    John B West
    Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093 0623, USA
    Adv Physiol Educ 32:177-84. 2008
    ..To help the weaker students, we now include a primer at the beginning of our handout for the course that covers simple physical principles. Examples of some of the most difficult concepts for students are given...
  30. ncbi J.S. Haldane and some of his contributions to physiology
    John B West
    University of California, San Diego, Department of Medicine, USA
    Adv Exp Med Biol 605:9-15. 2008
    ..On the one hand, he had an intense interest in very practical issues, for example, the dangers of mine gases and, on the other, he had a distinctly philosophical, vitalist bent which colored his views of physiology...
  31. ncbi Major differences in the pulmonary circulation between birds and mammals
    John B West
    Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093 0623, USA
    Respir Physiol Neurobiol 157:382-90. 2007
    ..The work suggests a pathogenesis for pulmonary hypertension syndrome in chickens which costs the broiler industry $1 billion per year...
  32. ncbi Adventures in high-altitude physiology
    John B West
    Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 0623, USA
    Adv Exp Med Biol 588:7-16. 2006
    ....
  33. ncbi Vulnerability of pulmonary capillaries during severe exercise
    J B West
    Department of Medicine 0623A, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0623, USA
    Br J Sports Med 40:821. 2006
  34. ncbi Georges Dreyer (1873-1934) and a forgotten episode of respiratory physiology at Oxford
    John B West
    Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
    J Med Biogr 14:140-9. 2006
    ..In spite of these contributions, almost nobody who works in respiratory physiology today, even in Oxford, recognizes the name of Dreyer...
  35. ncbi Highest permanent human habitation
    John B West
    Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla 92093 0623, USA
    High Alt Med Biol 3:401-7. 2002
    ..The altitude of the highest permanent human habitation is determined partly by economic factors, rather than solely by human tolerance to hypoxia...
  36. ncbi Snorkel breathing in the elephant explains the unique anatomy of its pleura
    J B West
    Department of Medicine 0623A, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093 0623, USA
    Respir Physiol 126:1-8. 2001
    ....
  37. ncbi Structure, strength, failure, and remodeling of the pulmonary blood-gas barrier
    J B West
    Department of Medicine, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla 92093 0623, USA
    Annu Rev Physiol 61:543-72. 1999
    ..How the blood-gas barrier is regulated to be extremely thin but sufficiently strong is a central issue in lung biology...
  38. ncbi Ibn al-Nafis, the pulmonary circulation, and the Islamic Golden Age
    John B West
    UCSD Dept of Medicine 0623A, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA 92093 0623, USA
    J Appl Physiol 105:1877-80. 2008
    ..This is an epoch often given little attention by physiologists but is known to some historians as the Islamic Golden Age. Its importance is briefly discussed here...
  39. ncbi Pulmonary function in space
    J B West
    Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla 92093 0623, USA
    JAMA 277:1957-61. 1997
    ..In addition, the data help to clarify how gravity affects pulmonary function in the normal gravity environment on Earth...
  40. ncbi Historical aspects of the early Soviet/Russian manned space program
    J B West
    Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093 0623, USA
    J Appl Physiol 91:1501-11. 2001
    ..However, the early Soviet manned space program has a preeminent place in the history of space physiology...
  41. ncbi The original presentation of Boyle's law
    J B West
    Department of Medicine, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093 0623, USA
    J Appl Physiol 87:1543-5. 1999
    ..When Boyle's data are plotted by using modern conventional methods, they strongly support his hypothesis that the volume and pressure of a gas are inversely related...
  42. ncbi Potential use of oxygen enrichment of room air in mountain resorts
    John B West
    Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla CA 92093 0623, USA
    High Alt Med Biol 3:59-64. 2002
    ..This application of oxygen enrichment is likely to be most valuable for improving sleep and assisting in the initial acclimatization process...
  43. ncbi Physiology in microgravity
    J B West
    Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093 0623, USA
    J Appl Physiol 89:379-84. 2000
    ..Space exploration is a new frontier with long-term missions to the moon and Mars not far away. Understanding the physiological changes caused by long-duration microgravity remains a daunting challenge...
  44. ncbi Human limits for hypoxia. The physiological challenge of climbing Mt. Everest
    J B West
    Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla 92093 0623, USA
    Ann N Y Acad Sci 899:15-27. 2000
    ..Even so the maximal oxygen consumption on the summit is extremely low with the result that climbers are critically vulnerable to unexpected setbacks such as changes in the weather...
  45. ncbi Oxygen enrichment of room air to improve well-being and productivity at high altitude
    J B West
    Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 0623, USA
    Int J Occup Environ Health 5:187-93. 1999
    ..The fire hazard is less than in air at sea level. This innovative technique promises to improve productivity and well-being at high altitude...
  46. ncbi Commuting to high altitude: value of oxygen enrichment of room air
    John B West
    Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093 0623, USA
    High Alt Med Biol 3:223-35. 2002
    ..Oxygen enrichment of room air can play a major role in improving living and working conditions for commuters to high altitude...
  47. ncbi Unexplained severe fatigue and lassitude at high altitude
    John B West
    UCSD Department of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093-0623, USA
    High Alt Med Biol 3:237-41. 2002
  48. ncbi Invited review: pulmonary capillary stress failure
    J B West
    Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla California 92093 0623, USA
    J Appl Physiol 89:2483-9;discussion 2497. 2000
    ..The barrier is able to maintain its extreme thickness with sufficient strength as a result of continual regulation of its wall structure. How it does this is a central problem in lung biology...
  49. ncbi Safe upper limits for oxygen enrichment of room air at high altitude
    J B West
    Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla 92093 0623, USA
    High Alt Med Biol 2:47-51. 2001
    ..These increased levels of oxygen enrichment are feasible in practice using oxygen concentrators. They may be useful if lowlanders need to ascend rapidly and stay at high altitude, or for treating people with high altitude illnesses...
  50. ncbi Barometric pressures on Mt. Everest: new data and physiological significance
    J B West
    Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093 0623, USA
    J Appl Physiol 86:1062-6. 1999
    ..63268 - 0.1112 h - 0.00149 h2), where h is in kilometers. The conclusion is that on days when the mountain is usually climbed, during May and October, the summit pressure is 251-253 Torr...
  51. ncbi Pulmonary function in microgravity: Spacelab 4 and beyond
    H J Guy
    Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla 92093
    Acta Astronaut 17:1139-43. 1988
    ..A rapid gas analyzer-based system has been developed for tests in Spacelab 4. The test sequence and expected results are presented...
  52. ncbi Sleep, performance, circadian rhythms, and light-dark cycles during two space shuttle flights
    D J Dijk
    Division of Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
    Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 281:R1647-64. 2001
    ..Crewmembers on these flights experienced circadian rhythm disturbances, sleep loss, decrements in neurobehavioral performance, and postflight changes in REM sleep...
  53. ncbi Validation of measurements of ventilation-to-perfusion ratio inequality in the lung from expired gas
    G Kim Prisk
    Department of Medicine 0931, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
    J Appl Physiol 94:1186-92. 2003
    ..We conclude that a useful noninvasive measurement of Va/Q inhomogeneity can be derived from the intrabreath respiratory exchange ratio...
  54. ncbi Limiting factors for exercise at extreme altitudes
    J B West
    Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093 0623
    Clin Physiol 10:265-72. 1990
    ..The paradoxically low lactate is possibly related to plasma bicarbonate depletion...
  55. ncbi Comparative aspects of the strength of pulmonary capillaries in rabbit, dog, and horse
    E K Birks
    Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093 0623
    Respir Physiol 97:235-46. 1994
    ..However, other factors may also be important in determining the strength of the BGB...
  56. ncbi Pulmonary capillaries are more resistant to stress failure in dogs than in rabbits
    O Mathieu-Costello
    Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093 0623, USA
    J Appl Physiol 79:908-17. 1995
    ..5 cmH2O, and unlike in rabbits, neither total nor interstitial thickness increased significantly with increasing pressure. These results indicate that pulmonary capillaries are more resistant to stress failure in dogs than rabbits...
  57. ncbi Increased fragility of pulmonary capillaries in newborn rabbit
    Zhenxing Fu
    Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093-0623, USA
    Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 284:L703-9. 2003
    ..We conclude that stress failure of pulmonary capillaries in newborn rabbit lungs can occur at P(tm) values of less than one-third of those that are required in adult lungs...
  58. ncbi Sustained microgravity reduces the human ventilatory response to hypoxia but not to hypercapnia
    G K Prisk
    Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093 0931, USA
    J Appl Physiol 88:1421-30. 2000
    ..The findings can be explained by inhibition of the hypoxic but not hypercapnic drive, possibly as a result of an increase in blood pressure in carotid baroreceptors in microG and the supine position...
  59. ncbi Forced expirations and maximum expiratory flow-volume curves during sustained microgravity on SLS-1
    A R Elliott
    Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093 0931, USA
    J Appl Physiol 81:33-43. 1996
    ..The mechanism responsible for the reduction in PEFR is not clear. It could be due to a lack of physical stabilization when performing the maneuver in the absence of gravity or a transient reduction in respiratory muscle strength...
  60. ncbi Deposition and dispersion of 1-micrometer aerosol boluses in the human lung: effect of micro- and hypergravity
    C Darquenne
    Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093 0931, USA
    J Appl Physiol 85:1252-9. 1998
    ..Although dispersion was lower in microG than in 1 G and approximately 1.6 G, it still increased steadily with increasing Vp, showing that nongravitational ventilatory inhomogeneity is partly responsible for dispersion in the human lung...
  61. ncbi Morphometry of the extremely thin pulmonary blood-gas barrier in the chicken lung
    Rebecca R Watson
    Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 0623, USA
    Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 292:L769-77. 2007
    ..The net result is to improve gas exchanging efficiency...
  62. ncbi Effect of microgravity and hypergravity on deposition of 0.5- to 3-micron-diameter aerosol in the human lung
    C Darquenne
    Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093 0931, USA
    J Appl Physiol 83:2029-36. 1997
    ....
  63. ncbi Maximum expiratory flow-volume curves during short periods of microgravity
    H J Guy
    Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093
    J Appl Physiol 70:2587-96. 1991
    ....
  64. ncbi Acclimatization and tolerance to extreme altitude
    J B West
    Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093 0623, USA
    J Wilderness Med 4:17-26. 1993
    ..Supplementary oxygen always improves exercise tolerance at extreme altitudes, and rescue oxygen should be available on climbing expeditions to 8000 m peaks...
  65. ncbi Microgravity reduces sleep-disordered breathing in humans
    A R Elliott
    Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0931, USA
    Am J Respir Crit Care Med 164:478-85. 2001
    ..This is the first direct demonstration that gravity plays a dominant role in the generation of apneas, hypopneas, and snoring in healthy subjects...
  66. ncbi Minimal distensibility of pulmonary capillaries in avian lungs compared with mammalian lungs
    Rebecca R Watson
    Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 0623, United States
    Respir Physiol Neurobiol 160:208-14. 2008
    ..We conclude that the epithelial bridges between the blood capillaries in the bird lung provide strong support to the capillaries both in expansion and compression...
  67. ncbi Nocturnal oxygen enrichment of room air at 3800 meter altitude improves sleep architecture
    I A Barash
    Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0623, USA
    High Alt Med Biol 2:525-33. 2001
    ..This study provides further objective evidence of improved sleep as a result of oxygen enrichment at 3800 m and suggests that alleviating hypoxia may improve sleep quality...
  68. ncbi Anomalous behavior of helium and sulfur hexafluoride during single-breath tests in sustained microgravity
    G K Prisk
    Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093, USA
    J Appl Physiol 80:1126-32. 1996
    ....
  69. ncbi Effect of 6 degrees head-down tilt on cardiopulmonary function: comparison with microgravity
    G Kim Prisk
    Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, 92093 0931, USA
    Aviat Space Environ Med 73:8-16. 2002
    ..Head-down tilt (HDT) of 6 degrees is a commonly used model of weightlessness, but there are few comparisons with actual microgravity...
  70. ncbi Pulmonary function in microgravity
    H J Guy
    Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093 0931
    Physiologist 35:S99-102. 1992
    ..abstract truncated at 250 words)..
  71. ncbi Three-dimensional ballistocardiography and respiratory motion in sustained microgravity
    G K Prisk
    Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla CA 92093 0931, USA
    Aviat Space Environ Med 72:1067-74. 2001
    ....
  72. ncbi George I. Finch and his pioneering use of oxygen for climbing at extreme altitudes
    John B West
    Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0623
    J Appl Physiol 94:1702-13. 2003
    ....
  73. ncbi Dispersion of 0.5- to 2-micron aerosol in microG and hypergravity as a probe of convective inhomogeneity in the lung
    C Darquenne
    Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093 0931, USA
    J Appl Physiol 86:1402-9. 1999
    ..5-micron-diameter particles for which sedimentation velocity is low, the differences between dispersion in microG and 1 G likely reflect the differences in gravitational convective inhomogeneity of ventilation between microG and 1 G...
  74. ncbi Sustained submaximal exercise does not alter the integrity of the lung blood-gas barrier in elite athletes
    S R Hopkins
    Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093 0623, USA
    J Appl Physiol 84:1185-9. 1998
    ..These results suggest that, in elite athletes, the integrity of the blood-gas barrier is altered only at extreme levels of exercise...
  75. ncbi Lung function is unchanged in the 1 G environment following 6-months exposure to microgravity
    G Kim Prisk
    Division of Physiology, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093 0931, USA
    Eur J Appl Physiol 103:617-23. 2008
    ..We conclude that that in a normoxic, normobaric environment, lung function is not a concern following long-duration future spaceflight exploration missions of up to 6 months...
  76. ncbi Pulmonary gas exchange is not impaired 24 h after extravehicular activity
    G Kim Prisk
    Division of Physiology, Dept of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 0931, USA
    J Appl Physiol 99:2233-8. 2005
    ..The results suggest that current denitrogenation protocols do not result in any major lasting alteration to gas exchange in the lung...
  77. ncbi Vital capacity, respiratory muscle strength, and pulmonary gas exchange during long-duration exposure to microgravity
    G Kim Prisk
    Div of Physiology, Dept of Medicine, Univ of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA 92093 0931, USA
    J Appl Physiol 101:439-47. 2006
    ..The results show that VC is essentially unchanged and respiratory muscle strength is maintained during extended exposure to microG, and metabolic rate is reduced...
  78. ncbi Ventilation-perfusion inequality in the human lung is not increased following no-decompression-stop hyperbaric exposure
    Gaea Schwaebe Moore
    Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, USA
    Eur J Appl Physiol 107:545-52. 2009
    ..32, p < 0.05). The degree of V (A)/Q mismatch in the lung was decreased following recreational ocean dives, and was unchanged following an equivalent air chamber dive, arguing against an impact of VGE on the pulmonary circulation...
  79. ncbi Thoughts on teaching physiology to medical students in 2002
    John B West
    Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, USA
    Physiologist 45:389, 391-3. 2002
  80. ncbi The major limitation to exercise performance in COPD is inadequate energy supply to the respiratory and locomotor muscles vs. lower limb muscle dysfunction vs. dynamic hyperinflation. Defining 'dynamic hyperinflation'
    John B West
    School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
    J Appl Physiol 105:758. 2008
  81. ncbi Why doesn't the elephant have a pleural space?
    John B West
    Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093 0623, USA
    News Physiol Sci 17:47-50. 2002
    ..This has been known for 300 years but never explained. The elephant is also the only animal that can snorkel at depth. The resulting pressure differences require changes in the pleural membranes and pleural space...
  82. ncbi Permanent residents at high altitude: our uniquely international discipline
    John B West
    High Alt Med Biol 7:93. 2006
  83. ncbi The hypoxia symposia: a 25-year-old tradition now stronger than ever
    John B West
    High Alt Med Biol 6:1-2. 2005
  84. ncbi Height of Mt. Everest: physiological and medical implications
    John B West
    High Alt Med Biol 7:1-2. 2006
  85. ncbi Thin and strong! The bioengineering dilemma in the structural and functional design of the blood-gas barrier
    John N Maina
    School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
    Physiol Rev 85:811-44. 2005
    ..Under extreme conditions of operation and in some disease states, the barrier fails with serious consequences. The lamina densa which in many parts of the blood-gas barrier is <50 nm thin is a lifeline in the true sense of the word...
  86. ncbi 50th anniversary of the first ascent of Everest
    John B West
    High Alt Med Biol 4:1-2. 2003
  87. ncbi Intermittent exposure to high altitude
    John B West
    High Alt Med Biol 3:141-3. 2002
  88. ncbi Acclimatization to high altitude: truths and misconceptions
    John B West
    High Alt Med Biol 4:401-2. 2003
  89. ncbi Point: Gravity is the major factor determining the distribution of blood flow in the human lung
    Michael Hughes
    National Heart and Lung Institutes-National College Respiratory Medicine, London, UK
    J Appl Physiol 104:1531-3. 2008
  90. ncbi Genomics and high altitude
    John B West
    High Alt Med Biol 9:103. 2008
  91. ncbi Introduction to the special paper by Michael P. Ward: Everest 1953, first ascent: a clinical record
    John B West
    High Alt Med Biol 4:25-6. 2003
  92. ncbi Point: the lactate paradox does/does not occur during exercise at high altitude
    John B West
    J Appl Physiol 102:2398-9. 2007
  93. ncbi Golmud-Lhasa rail link: an enormous challenge in high altitude medicine
    John B West
    High Alt Med Biol 5:3. 2004
  94. ncbi Understanding pulmonary gas exchange: ventilation-perfusion relationships
    John B West
    J Appl Physiol 97:1603-4. 2004
  95. ncbi Completion of the railroad to Lhasa
    John B West
    High Alt Med Biol 7:263-4. 2006
  96. ncbi Importance of gravity in determining the distribution of pulmonary blood flow
    John B West
    J Appl Physiol 93:1888-9; author reply 1889-91. 2002
  97. ncbi Survival following severe acute hypoxia and cold
    John B West
    High Alt Med Biol 4:485-7; discussion 487. 2003
  98. ncbi Understanding pulmonary gas exchange: ventilation-perfusion relationships
    John B West
    Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 287:L1071-2. 2004
    ..Riley RL. And Cournand A. Analysis of factors affecting partial pressures of oxygen and carbon dioxide in gas and blood of lungs: theory. J Appl Physiol 4: 77-101. 1951 (http://jap.physiology.org/cgi/reprint/4/2/77)...
  99. ncbi The birth of clinical body plethysmography: it was a good week
    John B West
    J Clin Invest 114:1043-5. 2004
    ..Times have changed and molecular medicine now dominates the JCI, but these articles remind us that biomedical research goes beyond the molecular...
  100. ncbi Last word on Point:Counterpoint: Gravity is/is not the major factor determining the distribution of blood flow in the human lung
    Michael Hughes
    National Heart and Lung Institute-Imperial College, 4 Cedars Road, London, UK
    J Appl Physiol 104:1539. 2008
  101. ncbi The Qinghai-Tibet railway
    John B West
    High Alt Med Biol 9:1-2. 2008

Research Grants6

  1. STRESS FAILURE AND REMODELING IN PULMONARY CAPILLARIES
    John West; Fiscal Year: 2003
    ..In addition, at the more basic level, this research is devoted to a fundamental bioengineering dilemma of the lung, namely, that the blood-gas barrier has to combine extreme thinness with immense strength. ..
  2. Integrity of the Pulmonary Blood-Gas Barrier
    John West; Fiscal Year: 2007
    ..In addition, at the more basic level, this research is devoted to a fundamental biological dilemma of the lung, namely how the blood-gas barrier combines extreme thinness with immense strength. ..