Respiratory responses of piglets to hypercapnia during postnatal development: effects of opioids

Resting respiratory and cardiovascular functions and the response to CO2 rebreathing were compared between 2.5 +/- 0.7 (mean +/- SE) and 34.1 +/- 1.9 day old piglets, before and after the opioid antagonist naltrexone (1 mg/kg IV). At rest, tidal volume, both absolute and per m2, inspiratory and expiratory time, absolute minute ventilation, and mean arterial pressure increased with age, and breathing frequency, minute ventilation per m2, and heart rate decreased, all of these with as well as without naltrexone. During hypercapnia, the pattern, but not the quantitative aspects of breathing changed with age. At rest, naltrexone produced hyperventilation in the young, but not in the older group. During hypercapnia, naltrexone had a sparse effect in both ages. We conclude that, in the anesthetized piglet, ventilatory functions at rest undergo change with postnatal age, but breathing responses to hypercapnia exhibit maturation in pattern only and not in magnitude. Whereas resting ventilation of young piglets is modulated by endogenous opioids, hypercapnia may activate opioids to a limited extent and in a manner unrelated to age.