Acclimatization to high altitude in goats with ablated carotid bodies

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Abstract
In awake goats with ablated carotid bodies, resting pulmonary ventilation, CO2 production, composition of arterial blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and ventilatory responsiveness to hyperoxic CO2 rebreathing were studied at sea level (SL) and after 3 days at simulated high altitude (HA) (PB [barometric pessure] 446 .+-. 5 torr, equivalent to 4300 m). At HA, resting pulmonary ventilation was increased, resulting in marked hyporcapnia with appropriate base deficit in blood plasma; CSF became more alkaline; CO2-response curves were shifted to lower PCO2 [partial pressure of CO2) levels and their slopes were steeper than at SL. Although these changes in regulation of respiration were not demonstrably different from those seen after normal acclimatization of HA with carotid bodies intact, the mechanisms of their initiation and development are probably different.