Adrenergic and local control of O2 uptake during and after severe hypoxia

The distribution of whole-body O2 supply during severe hypoxia and recovery and its relation to the regional distribution of O2 deficit and repayment was studied. Mongrel dogs were anesthetized, paralyzed, and ventilated to maintain an end-tidal PCO2 between 35 and 40 Torr. In one group, the alpha- and beta-adrenergic receptors were blocked to eliminate neural and humoral adrenergic influences. In a second group, alpha-adrenergic receptors were stimulated to decrease O2 delivery by excessive vasoconstriction. In a third group, beta-adrenergic receptors were stimulated to increase O2 delivery. Whole-body and hindlimb muscle O2 uptake and vascular responses were measured during normoxic control, 15 or 30 min of severe hypoxia (9% O2 in N2), and 20 or 30 min of normoxic recovery, respectively. The whole-body O2 deficit and excess O2 uptake in recovery were partitioned into muscle and nonmuscle areas. The data showed that neural or humoral influences had little effect on the regional distribution of the total O2 deficit and O2 excess in recovery. The O2 deficit could be decreased somewhat by increasing delivery, but the amount of excess O2 used in recovery was unaffected. This suggested that the excess O2 use in recovery was more a function of an energy deficit during hypoxia and not an O2 deficit.