Respiratory response to HCl acidosis in dogs after carotid body denervation

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Abstract
To test the carotid body participation in the respiratory response to metabolic acidosis, dogs (6) were infused with HCl for 2 h followed by HCl feeding to prolong the acidosis to 48 h. This protocol was repeated after carotid body denervation (CBD). Mean control PCO2 [partial pressure of CO2] rose by 7.3 Torr after CBD. PCO2 fell comparably during acidosis before and after CBD at all time periods from 30-48 h and returned to control levels by 72 h. The pH ranged from 7.10-7.30 during acidosis pre- and post-CBD. The decreases in pH and HCO3- concentration did not differ significantly at any time interval between the pre- and post-CBD studies. In dogs, moderately severe HCl acidosis apparently stimulated ventilation acutely and chronically through a central mechanism in the absence of the carotid bodies.