Estimating medullary chemoreceptor blood flow from ventilatory-CO2 response transients: theory and data from anesthetized dogs

The ventilatory CO2 sensitivities from Read's rebreathing method and the steady-state method are not equal in man

1. The ventilatory response to changes in end-tidal carbon dioxide tension during hyperoxia, obtained with Read's rebreathing method and a steady-state technique, were compared. 2. In ten young male subjects, forty successful rebreathing and thirteen steady-state experiments were performed on thirteen different morning sessions. 3. In all subjects the ventilatory CO2 sensitivities obtained with the rebreathing method (Sr) were appreciably larger than the steady-state CO2 sensitivities (Ss). The ratio Sr/Ss ranged from 1.40 to 2.59 with a mean value of 1.85. 4. We argue that these results can be explained by considering the effect of changes in cerebral blood flow upon increasing the arterial CO2 tension during rebreathing and the steady state. 5. We conclude that in general the CO2 sensitivity obtained with Read's rebreathing method does not represent the steady-state CO2 sensitivity.

Dynamics of medullary hydrogen ion and respiratory responses to square-wave change of arterial carbon dioxide in cats

1. The dynamics of changes of medullary extracellular fluid (ECF) hydrogen ion concentration ([H+]) and respiration, measured as integrated phrenic nerve activity, were determined in anaesthetized, paralysed, vagotomized and glomectomized cats. ECF [H+] was measured directly by means of a small (2 mm diameter) glass pH electrode placed on the ventral surface of the medulla. The variables were measured continuously after a step change of arterial PCO2 produced by abruptly starting or stopping an infusion of hypercapnic fluid into the aortic arch. 2. Alteration of pH in the descending thoracic aorta at the onset or offset of infusion was complete within 1.5 s after the change began, indicating that it was nearly square wave in form. 3. In sixteen experiments, ECF [H+] began to fall within 2 s of offset of infusion, reflecting aortic-medullary circulation time. Thereafter, ECF [H+] decreased to a stable level over the next 5 min; the curve describing the decrease consisted of two exponential functions, one with a time constant (tau) of 9.5 +/- 0.6 s and a second with a tau of 53 +/- 3 s. 4. We interpret the findings at the offset of CO2 infusion in terms of CO2 wash-out from the medullary ECF. The slow function is associated with wash-out during stable medullary blood flow that develops after 1 min. The early fast function is associated with the decreasing medullary blood flow that occurs during the first minute after change from arterial hypercapnia to normocapnia. 5. We have estimated medullary blood flow using a mathematical model incorporating the two functions. The values obtained are consistent with those in the literature where other methods have been used. Changes of blood flow following the step change of CO2 are fairly rapid, half of the response occurring in 13 s. 6. The change of respiratory activity lags the change of stimulus expressed by [H+], throughout the recovery period and respiration requires up to 8 min to reach a stable level. We attribute this slow response to slow central neural respiratory dynamics, the respiratory after-discharge.