The role of vagal nerves in changes of functional residual lung capacity during acute hypoxia.
Functional residual capacity of the lungs (FRC) was measured by a plethysmographic method in anaesthetized, intubated rats breathing air or a hypoxic mixture (10% O2 in N2), before and after bilateral cervical vagotomy. Inhalation of the with intact vagi, the drop in Pao2 was accompanied by a significant rise of FRC; after hypoxic mixture led to the same decrease in Pao2 before and after vagotomy. In rats vagotomy, hypoxia did not affect the FRC. The vagal nerves are thus apparently necessary for the increase of FRC during hypoxia in the rat.
D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D005652:Functional Residual Capacity; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008176:Lung Volume Measurements; D008297:Male; D012123:Pulmonary Ventilation; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014628:Vagotomy; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology*