Cardiac output distribution and regional blood flow during hypocarbia in monkeys

Abstract

Cardiac output distribution and regional blood flow were studied during hypocarbia independent of changes in ventilatory parameters. Fifteen cynomolgus monkeys were anesthetized with methohexital sodium (8 mg/kg im) and hyperventilated through an endotracheal tube. Hypocarbia at two levels, 28 +/- 1.8 and 17 +/- 0.6 Torr, was achieved by a stepwise decreasing CO2 flow into the semiclosed system. Regional blood flow was determined with labeled microspheres. At each stage of experiments two sets of microspheres (9 and 15 microns diam) were used simultaneously. The use of two microsphere sizes allowed evaluation of the relationship between total (nutritive and nonnutritive) tissue blood flow, determined with 15-microns spheres, and nutritive blood flow, determined with 9-microns spheres. There was no change in cardiac output or arterial pressure during both degrees of studied hypocarbia. Hypocarbia was accompanied by a decrease in myocardial blood flow determined with 15-microns spheres and preservation of the flow determined with 9-microns spheres. Splenic blood flow was decreased, whereas hepatic arterial blood flow was increased during both levels of hypocarbia. Blood flow through the brain, renal cortex, and gut showed a biphasic response to hypocarbia: during hypocarbia at 28 +/- 1.8 Torr, blood flow determined with 15-microns spheres was unchanged (in the gut) or decreased (in the brain and kidneys), whereas blood flow determined with 9-microns spheres was decreased. During hypocarbia at 17 +/- 0.6 Torr, blood flow determined with 9-microns spheres had a tendency to restore to base-line values.