Ventilatory changes in the golden hamster, Mesocricetus auratus, compared with the laboratory rat, Rattus norvegicus, during hypercapnia and/or hypoxia.
Tidal volume, respiratory frequency, and minute volume were measured with total body plethysmography. Both hypercapnic (0-7% CO2) and hypoxic (13-21% O2) gas mixtures caused "dose" related hyperventilation in the hamsters. However, there was no synergism between combined stimuli. Rats exhibited greater hyperventilation than the hamsters during hypercapnic + hypoxic and hypercapnic exposures. Hamsters responded more than the rats to hypoxia alone. Greater blood buffering capacity of hamsters is a possible explanation for the species differences in ventilatory sensitivity.
D000818:Animals; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000378:metabolism; D006224:Cricetinae / Q000502:physiology*; D006935:Hypercapnia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008647:Mesocricetus / Q000502:physiology*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010991:Plethysmography; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains / Q000502:physiology*; D012119:Respiration; D013045:Species Specificity
D002245:Carbon Dioxide