title: In vivo blood oxygen binding in hypoxic lesser spear-nosed bats: relationship to control of breathing.
abstract: The hypoxic ventilatory threshold of many mammals correlates with their hemoglobin-oxygen affinity (P50). Yet, in some small mammals ventilation actually declines, rather than increases, with exposure to decreasing PaO2; their air convection requirement (V(E)/V(O2)), however, is elevated in hypoxia. We propose that the threshold of the hypoxic V(E)/V(O2) of small mammals coincides with the inflection ('knee') of their in vivo O2 equilibrium curve (O2EC). In vivo blood gas and pH data were obtained from normoxic and hypoxic lesser-spear nosed bats, Phyllostomus discolor; in vitro blood O2EC were also generated for normoxic bats at 32 and 37 degrees C and at three P(CO2)'s. The hypoxic V(E)/V(O2) threshold of P. discolor occurs at PaO2 = 39 Torr; the corresponding in vivo O2 saturation is 0.70, approximating the inflection of the O2EC. This animal has a high blood O2 affinity (P50 = 27.5 Torr at pH 7.40 and 37 degrees C; P50 = 30.8 Torr at in vivo pH of 7.31 and TB of 37.4 degrees C). As PaO2 is reduced, a pronounced hypoxia-induced respiratory alkalosis and hypothermia help maintain SaO2 near the O2EC inflection (0.64-0.70 S(O2)).
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Eastern Washington University, Cheney 99004-2431, USA. dboggs@ewu.edu
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Boggs
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Maginniss
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Kilgore
mesh_terms: D000136:Acid-Base Equilibrium; D000818:Animals; D001831:Body Temperature; D002685:Chiroptera / Q000502:physiology*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D012119:Respiration
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen