Hypoxia and carbon dioxide as separate and interactive depressants of ventilation

The respiratory frequency, tidal volume and ventilization responses of 20 conscious cats to hypoxia, at controlled levels of alveolar CO2, revealed a characteristic steady state response in the majority of animals which indicated a negative interaction of stimuli on tidal volume and minute volume of ventilation, but a positive interaction on frequency. Another series of studies, conducted on seven conscious cats, sought to identify hypoxic response thresholds and depression thresholds, by determining responses over a wide range of hypoxic stimulus intensities, and at different controlled alveolar PCO2. Response threshold was at about 65 torr PAO2. Under eucapnic conditions, ventilation began to fail at PAO2 about 30 torr due to failure of tidal volume. The frequency continued to increase even in the lowest range of PAO2. With hypocapnia no failure of ventilation, frequency, or tidal volume was seen even at the lowest PAO2, but with hypercapnia, the tidal volume began to fail at PAO2 about 50 torr. The minute volume however, continued to increase into the lowest range of PAO2, because the frequency continued to respond at a rate greater than the tidal volume was failing. The results are discussed in terms of interactive depression manifest through the coupled responses of peripheral and central mechanisms.