Hypoxic ventilatory response of rats born at simulated altitude

Steady-state ventilatory response to isocapnic hypoxia was measured in awake rats: a) resident at sea level (Control); b) born at sea level and acclimatized to a simulated altitude of 3500 m (Newcomers); c) born and raised for two generations at a simulated altitude of 3500 m (HA-II Generation). Arterial PO2, PCO2, and pH were measured at the same time as ventilation. Resting ventilation (mean +/- SE) on room air in Control, Newcomers, and HA-II Generation was 707 +/- 25, 811 +/- 28 and 878 +/- 21 ml.min-1.kg-1, respectively. The ratios of ventilations measured at PaO2 55 and 100 Torr were 1.61 for Control, 1.52 for Newcomers, and 1.60 for HA-II Generation and were not significantly different from one another. The ventilatory response to 5% CO2 in air was also similar in all three groups. After four days at sea level, ventilatory responses of HA-II Generation to normoxia or isocapnic hypoxia were the same as those of sea level control. We conclude that the HA-II Generation groups had ventilatory responses to hypoxia that did not differ from those of Newcomers acclimatized to the same altitude. Unlike man, rats that were born and raised at altitude for two generations did not show any "blunting" of the ventilatory response to hypoxia.