Brain amino acids in conscious rats in chronic normocapnic and hypocapnic hypoxemia

The influence of hypoxemia on the brain content of several organic acids and NH+4, AND ITS RELATIONship to the accompanying hypocapnia was studied in unanesthetized rats subjected to hypoxemia for periods ranging between 2 hours and 7 days. Under acute conditions, 'mild' hypoxemia (FO2 = 6--7%), these increases were greater and accompanied by increased gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and decreased glutamic and aspartic acid levels; glutamine and NH+4 remained normal. When hypocapnia was prevented, 'severe' hypoxemia induced only a rise in GABA and slight elevations in lactic and alpha-ketoglutaric acid. During prolonged severe hypoxemia, the effects on the brain amino acids were maintained throughout, indicating that they are independent from the intracerebral pH which should progressively normalize. The effect on lactic acid gradually disappeared. The results show that during hypocapnic hypoxemia the rise in brain GABA is hypoxemia dependent, the decrease in glutamic and aspartic acid is hypocapnia dependent and the increase in lactic acid is in a large way alkalosis dependent.