title: Oxygen sensing in the carotid body.
abstract: In the present article we review in a concise manner the literature on the mechanisms of O2 chemoreception in the carotid body of adult mammals. In the first section we describe the basic structure of the carotid body, and define this organ as a secondary sensory receptor. In the second section is presented the most relevant literature on the O2 metabolism in the carotid body to define the parameters of O2 chemoreception, including hypoxic thresholds and P50 of the hypoxic responses. The final section is devoted to the mechanisms of detection of the hypoxic stimulus. We provide the data in favor and against each of the current three models on O2 chemoreception: the membrane model, the metabolic hypothesis with its different versions and the NAD(P)H oxidase model.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular y Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Valladolid, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vicario
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Almaraz
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rigual
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000502:physiology; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002248:Carbon Monoxide / Q000097:blood; D002344:Carotid Body / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000502:physiology; D005930:Glossopharyngeal Nerve / Q000502:physiology; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000378:metabolism; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology; D008322:Mammals / Q000502:physiology; D008954:Models, Biological; D009247:NADH, NADPH Oxidoreductases / Q000502:physiology; D019255:NADPH Oxidases; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood*; D010313:Partial Pressure; D011188:Potassium / Q000494:pharmacology; D011817:Rabbits; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013779:Tetrodotoxin / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D013779:Tetrodotoxin; D002248:Carbon Monoxide; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D009247:NADH, NADPH Oxidoreductases; D019255:NADPH Oxidases; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV; D011188:Potassium; D010100:Oxygen; D004298:Dopamine