Control of ventilation in climbers to extreme altitude

1982 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
pp. 886-890 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. B. Schoene
Keyword(s):  
Ventilatory Response ◽  
Distance Runners ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Response Parameter ◽  
Extreme Altitude ◽  
Progressive Hypoxia ◽  
High Altitude Natives ◽  
End Tidal ◽  
Adequate Oxygenation ◽  
Ventilatory Response To Hypoxia

Blunted chemosensitivity has been found in successful endurance athletes and some high-altitude natives. This characteristic, however, may not be beneficial to climbers at extreme altitude, where a vigorous ventilatory response to hypoxia may be of value in enhancing alveolar and arterial oxygenation. We studied 14 climbers who had climbed to 7,470 m or higher, 10 age-matched controls, and 10 outstanding middle- and long-distance runners. The ventilatory response to progressive hypoxia was determined at a constant, normal end-tidal Pco2 over 8–12 min and to CO2 by rebreathing a 7% CO2 hyperoxic mixture (Read technique). The hypoxic response parameter of Weil, A was used to determine the hypoxic responses and S (delta VE/ delta PACO2) the hypercapnic response. Climbers had A values significantly higher than the runners (means +/- SE: 158.9 +/- 29.9 vs. 49.3 +/- 7.1, P less than 0.001) but not significantly higher than the controls (109.9 +/- 21.0). delta VE/ delta PACO2 of climbers was higher (3.0 +/- 0.4) than both controls (2.2 +/- 0.2, P less than 0.025) and runners (1.4 +/- 0.2, P less than 0.0005). These data suggest that successful climbers to extreme altitude may be selected by virtue of their vigorous respiratory responses to hypoxia to maintain adequate oxygenation in the presence of extreme environmental hypoxia.

Effect of elastic loading on ventilatory response to hypoxia in conscious man

1975 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 548-551 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. S. Rebuck ◽  
M. Betts ◽  
N. A. Saunders
Keyword(s):  
Ventilatory Response ◽  
Variable Speed ◽  
Ventilatory Responses ◽  
Elastic Load ◽  
Resistive Loading ◽  
Elastic Loading ◽  
Progressive Hypoxia ◽  
End Tidal ◽  
Linear Regressions ◽  
Ventilatory Response To Hypoxia

Ventilatory responses to isocapnic hypoxia, with and without an inspiratory elastic load (12.1 cmH2O/l), were measured in seven healthy subjects using a rebreathing technique. During each experiment, the end-tidal PCO2 was held constant using a variable-speed pump to draw gas from the rebreathing bag through a CO2 absorbing bypass. Studies with and without the load were performed in a formally randomized order for each subject. Linear regressions for rise in ventilation against fall in SaO2 were calculated. The range of unloaded responses was 0.74–1.38 1/min per 1% fall in SaO2 and loaded responses 0.71–1.56 1/min per 1% fall in SaO2. Elastic loading did not significantly alter the ventilatory response to progressive hypoxia (P greater than 0.2). In all subjects there was, however, a change in breathing pattern during loading, whereby increments in ventilation were attained by smaller tidal volumes and higher frequencies than in the control experiments. These results support the hypothesis previously proposed in our studies of resistive loading during progressive hypoxia, that a similar control pathway appears to be involved in response to the application of loads to breathing, whether ventilation is stimulated by hypoxia or hypercapnia.

The Ventilatory Response to Hypoxia Below the Carbon Dioxide Threshold

1997 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Theodore Rapanos ◽  
James Duffin
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Partial Pressure ◽  
Ventilatory Response ◽  
Pressure Threshold ◽  
Partial Pressures ◽  
Progressive Hypoxia ◽  
End Tidal ◽  
Peripheral Chemoreflex ◽  
Ventilatory Response To Hypoxia ◽  
Lower Carbon

The ventilatory response to acute progressive hypoxia below the carbon dioxide threshold using rebreathing was investigated. Nine subjects rebreathed after 5 min of hyperventilation to lower carbon dioxide stores. The rebreathing bag initially contained enough carbon dioxide to equilibrate alveolar and arterial partial pressures of carbon dioxide to the lowered mixed venous partial pressure (≈ 30 mmHg), and enough oxygen to establish a chosen end-tidal partial pressure (50-70 mmHg), within one circulation time. During rebreathing, end-tidal partial pressure of carbon dioxide increased while end-tidal partial pressure of oxygen fell. Ventilation increased linearly with end-tidal carbon dioxide above a mean end-tidal partial pressure threshold of 39 ± 2.7 mmHg. Below this peripheral-chemoreflex threshold, ventilation did not increase, despite a progressive fall in end-tidal oxygen partial pressure to a mean of 37 ± 4.1 mmHg. In Conclusion, hypoxia does not stimulate ventilation when carbon dioxide is below its peripheral-chemoreflex threshold. Key words: peripheral chemoreflex, rebreathing technique, hyperventilation

Selected Contribution: High-altitude natives living at sea level acclimatize to high altitude like sea-level natives

2003 ◽  
Vol 94 (3) ◽  
pp. 1263-1268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Rivera-Ch ◽  
Alfredo Gamboa ◽  
Fabiola León-Velarde ◽  
Jose-Antonio Palacios ◽  
David F. O'Connor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Altitude ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Ventilatory Response ◽  
Air Breathing ◽  
High Altitude Natives ◽  
End Tidal ◽  
Ventilatory Response To Hypoxia

Sea-level (SL) natives acclimatizing to high altitude (HA) increase their acute ventilatory response to hypoxia (AHVR), but HA natives have values for AHVR below those for SL natives at SL (blunting). HA natives who live at SL retain some blunting of AHVR and have more marked blunting to sustained (20-min) hypoxia. This study addressed the question of what happens when HA natives resident at SL return to HA: do they acclimatize like SL natives or revert to the characteristics of HA natives? Fifteen HA natives resident at SL were studied, together with 15 SL natives as controls. Air-breathing end-tidal Pco 2 and AHVR were determined at SL. Subjects were then transported to 4,300 m, where these measurements were repeated on each of the following 5 days. There were no significant differences in the magnitude or time course of the changes in end-tidal Pco 2 and AHVR between the two groups. We conclude that HA natives normally resident at SL undergo ventilatory acclimatization to HA in the same manner as SL natives.

Familial aspects of decreased hypoxic drive in endurance athletes

1978 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 464-468 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. H. Scoggin ◽  
R. D. Doekel ◽  
M. H. Kryger ◽  
C. W. Zwillich ◽  
J. V. Weil
Keyword(s):  
Shape Parameter ◽  
Ventilatory Response ◽  
Endurance Athletes ◽  
Hypoxic Ventilatory Response ◽  
Distance Runners ◽  
Similar Extent ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Ventilatory Responses ◽  
Familial Influences ◽  
Ventilatory Response To Hypoxia

One difference between endurance athletes and nonathletes is decreased ventilatory responsiveness to hypoxia and hypercapnia. It has never been clear whether these decreased responses are a consequence of conditioning or precede participation in endurance athletics. Recent studies demonstrating clusters of decreased ventilatory responses to hypoxia in families of patients with unexplained respiratory failure suggest that decreased responses in endurance athletes might be familial. To investigate this possibility, ventilatory response to hypoxia and hypercapnia were measured in 16 nonathletic, healthy parents and siblings of five successful long-distance runners. Response were compared to 34 nonathletic controls. As measured by the shape parameter A, hypoxic response was decreased to a similar extent in runners 74 +/- 6.4 (mean +/- SE) (P less than 0.05) and their relatives 69 +/- 15.2 (P less than 0.01) compared to control 128 +/- 11.3. Hypercapnic responses were slightly, but not significantly, decreased in runners and their families. We conclude familial influences made a major contribution to the decreased hypoxic ventilatory response seen in long-distance runners.

Exponential and diphasic ventilatory response to hypoxia in conscious lambs

1986 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 836-842 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. Bureau ◽  
A. Cote ◽  
P. W. Blanchard ◽  
S. Hobbs ◽  
P. Foulon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Steady State ◽  
Ventilatory Response ◽  
Abrupt Withdrawal ◽  
Peak Response ◽  
Fractional Concentration ◽  
Progressive Hypoxia ◽  
Ventilatory Response To Hypoxia

This study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that in the neonate the hypoxic chemoreflex drive adapts to steady-state hypoxia but not to progressive hypoxia. First we have compared the ventilatory (VE) response of 2-day-old conscious lambs to steady-state hypoxia with their response to progressive hypoxia. Second, we have quantified the chemoreceptor excitatory function operating at the end of each period of hypoxia by studying the immediate VE response to the withdrawal of the hypoxic stimulus. Lambs responded to steady-state hypoxia [fractional concentration of inspired O2 (FIO2) = 0.08] by a diphasic VE response but responded to progressive hypoxia (FIO2 0.21–0.08) by an exponential VE increase. Hyperventilation in steady-state hypoxia was transient; VE increased immediately from 532 to a mean peak response of 712 ml X kg-1 X min-1 and decreased to 595 ml X kg-1. min-1 within 10 min. With progressive hypoxia, VE increased within 13 min from 514 to 705 ml X kg-1 X min-1. At the end of steady-state and progressive hypoxia the abrupt withdrawal of the hypoxic drive caused an instantaneous VE decrease to 390 and 399 ml X kg-1 X min-1, respectively; the VE decrease was respectively 306 and 205 ml X kg-1 X min-1 (P less than 0.05). This demonstrates that during steady-state hypoxia the lambs had suffered a loss of one third of the chemoreceptor excitatory function.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Somatostatin inhibits the ventilatory response to hypoxia in humans

1986 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 997-1002 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. L. Maxwell ◽  
P. Chahal ◽  
K. B. Nolop ◽  
J. M. Hughes
Keyword(s):  
Ventilatory Response ◽  
Minute Ventilation ◽  
Open Circuit ◽  
Co2 Production ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Hypoxic Response ◽  
Ventilatory Responses ◽  
End Tidal ◽  
Hypercapnic Response ◽  
Ventilatory Response To Hypoxia

The effects of a 90-min infusion of somatostatin (1 mg/h) on ventilation and the ventilatory responses to hypoxia and hypercapnia were studied in six normal adult males. Minute ventilation (VE) was measured with inductance plethysmography, arterial 02 saturation (SaO2) was measured with ear oximetry, and arterial PCO2 (Paco2) was estimated with a transcutaneous CO2 electrode. The steady-state ventilatory response to hypoxia (delta VE/delta SaO2) was measured in subjects breathing 10.5% O2 in an open circuit while isocapnia was maintained by the addition of CO2. The hypercapnic response (delta VE/delta PaCO2) was measured in subjects breathing first 5% and then 7.5% CO2 (in 52–55% O2). Somatostatin greatly attenuated the hypoxic response (control mean -790 ml x min-1.%SaO2 -1, somatostatin mean -120 ml x min-1.%SaO2 -1; P less than 0.01), caused a small fall in resting ventilation (mean % fall - 11%), but did not affect the hypercapnic response. In three of the subjects progressive ventilatory responses (using rebreathing techniques, dry gas meter, and end-tidal Pco2 analysis) and overall metabolism were measured. Somatostatin caused similar changes (mean fall in hypoxic response -73%; no change in hypercapnic response) and did not alter overall O2 consumption nor CO2 production. These results show an hitherto-unsuspected inhibitory potential of this neuropeptide on the control of breathing; the sparing of the hypercapnic response is suggestive of an action on the carotid body but does not exclude a central effect.

Influences of Morphine on the Ventilatory Response to Isocapnic Hypoxia 

1997 ◽  
Vol 86 (6) ◽  
pp. 1342-1349 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aad Berkenbosch ◽  
Luc J. Teppema ◽  
Cees N. Olievier ◽  
Albert Dahan
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Steady State ◽  
Shape Parameter ◽  
Ventilatory Response ◽  
Depressant Effect ◽  
Ventilatory Responses ◽  
Before And After ◽  
End Tidal ◽  
Ventilatory Response To Hypoxia ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Sensitivity

Background The ventilatory response to hypoxia is composed of the stimulatory activity from peripheral chemoreceptors and a depressant effect from within the central nervous system. Morphine induces respiratory depression by affecting the peripheral and central carbon dioxide chemoreflex loops. There are only few reports on its effect on the hypoxic response. Thus the authors assessed the effect of morphine on the isocapnic ventilatory response to hypoxia in eight cats anesthetized with alpha-chloralose-urethan and on the ventilatory carbon dioxide sensitivities of the central and peripheral chemoreflex loops. Methods The steady-state ventilatory responses to six levels of end-tidal oxygen tension (PO2) ranging from 375 to 45 mmHg were measured at constant end-tidal carbon dioxide tension (P[ET]CO2, 41 mmHg) before and after intravenous administration of morphine hydrochloride (0.15 mg/kg). Each oxygen response was fitted to an exponential function characterized by the hypoxic sensitivity and a shape parameter. The hypercapnic ventilatory responses, determined before and after administration of morphine hydrochloride, were separated into a slow central and a fast peripheral component characterized by a carbon dioxide sensitivity and a single offset B (apneic threshold). Results At constant P(ET)CO2, morphine decreased ventilation during hyperoxia from 1,260 +/- 140 ml/min to 530 +/- 110 ml/ min (P < 0.01). The hypoxic sensitivity and shape parameter did not differ from control. The ventilatory response to carbon dioxide was displaced to higher P(ET)CO2 levels, and the apneic threshold increased by 6 mmHg (P < 0.01). The central and peripheral carbon dioxide sensitivities decreased by about 30% (P < 0.01). Their ratio (peripheral carbon dioxide sensitivity:central carbon dioxide sensitivity) did not differ for the treatments (control = 0.165 +/- 0.105; morphine = 0.161 +/- 0.084). Conclusions Morphine depresses ventilation at hyperoxia but does not depress the steady-state increase in ventilation due to hypoxia. The authors speculate that morphine reduces the central depressant effect of hypoxia and the peripheral carbon dioxide sensitivity at hyperoxia.

Relationship between arterial oxygen desaturation and ventilation during maximal exercise

1992 ◽  
Vol 73 (6) ◽  
pp. 2588-2591 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Miyachi ◽  
I. Tabata
Keyword(s):  
Maximal Exercise ◽  
Arterial Oxygen ◽  
Distance Runners ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Positive Correlation ◽  
Ventilatory Equivalent ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
End Tidal ◽  
Arterial O2 Saturation

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the contribution of ventilation to arterial O2 desaturation during maximal exercise. Nine untrained subjects and 22 trained long-distance runners [age 18–36 yr, maximal O2 uptake (VO2max) 48–74 ml.min-1 x kg-1] volunteered to participate in the study. The subjects performed an incremental exhaustive cycle ergometry test at 70 rpm of pedaling frequency, during which arterial O2 saturation (SaO2) and ventilatory data were collected every minute. SaO2 was estimated with a pulse oximeter. A significant positive correlation was found between SaO2 and end-tidal PO2 (PETO2; r = 0.72, r2 = 0.52, P < 0.001) during maximal exercise. These statistical results suggest that approximately 50% of the variability of SaO2 can be accounted for by differences in PETO2, which reflects alveolar PO2. Furthermore, PETO2 was highly correlated with the ventilatory equivalent for O2 (VE/VO2; r = 0.91, P < 0.001), which indicates that PETO2 could be the result of ventilation stimulated by maximal exercise. Finally, SaO2 was positively related to VE/VO2 during maximal exercise (r = 0.74, r2 = 0.55, P < 0.001). Therefore, one-half of the arterial O2 desaturation occurring during maximal exercise may be explained by less hyperventilation, specifically for our subjects, who demonstrated a wide range of trained states. Furthermore, we found an indirect positive correlation between SaO2 and ventilatory response to CO2 at rest (r = 0.45, P < 0.05), which was mediated by ventilation during maximal exercise. These data also suggest that ventilation is an important factor for arterial O2 desaturation during maximal exercise.

Women at altitude: ventilatory acclimatization at 4,300 m

2001 ◽  
Vol 91 (4) ◽  
pp. 1791-1799 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen R. Muza ◽  
Paul B. Rock ◽  
Charles S. Fulco ◽  
Stacy Zamudio ◽  
Barry Braun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Menstrual Cycle ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Ventilatory Response ◽  
Alveolar Ventilation ◽  
Cycle Phase ◽  
Hypoxic Ventilatory Response ◽  
Menstrual Cycle Phase ◽  
Response Parameter ◽  
Effective Ventilation ◽  
End Tidal

Women living at low altitudes or acclimatized to high altitudes have greater effective ventilation in the luteal (L) compared with follicular (F) menstrual cycle phase and compared with men. We hypothesized that ventilatory acclimatization to high altitude would occur more quickly and to a greater degree in 1) women in their L compared with women in their F menstrual cycle phase, and 2) in women compared with men. Studies were conducted on 22 eumenorrheic, unacclimatized, sea-level (SL) residents. Indexes of ventilatory acclimatization [resting ventilatory parameters, hypoxic ventilatory response, hypercapnic ventilatory response (HCVR)] were measured in 14 women in the F phase and in 8 other women in the L phase of their menstrual cycle, both at SL and again during a 12-day residence at 4,300 m. At SL only, ventilatory studies were also completed in both menstrual cycle phases in 12 subjects (i.e., within-subject comparison). In these subjects, SL alveolar ventilation (expressed as end-tidal Pco 2) was greater in the L vs. F phase. Yet the comparison between L- and F-phase groups found similar levels of resting end-tidal Pco 2, hypoxic ventilatory response parameter A, HCVR slope, and HCVR parameter B, both at SL and 4,300 m. Moreover, these indexes of ventilatory acclimatization were not significantly different from those previously measured in men. Thus female lowlanders rapidly ascending to 4,300 m in either the L or F menstrual cycle phase have similar levels of alveolar ventilation and a time course for ventilatory acclimatization that is nearly identical to that reported in male lowlanders.

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