Expirograms of O2, CO2 and intravenously infused C2H2 and Freon-22 during panting in dogs

To study pulmonary gas transport in panting, expirograms of several inert and respiratory gases were simultaneously measured in panting dogs. The experiments were performed on 5 conscious dogs (mean body weight 34.4 kg) provided with a chronic tracheostomy. Panting at a mean frequency of 312/min (5.2 Hz) was induced by elevated room temperature (mean 28.1 degrees C). Isotonic saline equilibrated with 50% acetylene and 50% Freon-22 was infused intravenously at a constant rate (4 ml/min). Fractional concentrations in the tracheostomy tube were measured by a respiratory mass spectrometer, using a special sampling system designed for quasi-continuous analysis of rapidly changing gas concentrations. Air flow was monitored by an ultrasonic transit-time flowmeter. A tracing of expired gas concentrations versus expired volume showed no alveolar plateau, displaying a steep increase of Freon-22, acetylene and CO2 (decrease of O2) up to the onset of inspiration. The small but statistically highly significant differences between the expirograms of CO2 and O2, and of Freon-22 and acetylene, could be qualitatively explained by ventilation-perfusion inequalities with sequential emptying, by Taylor dispersion and by reversible solution in airway mucosa in the course of the respiratory cycle.