Chemosensitivity of the Respiratory Center

Abstract

The perfusion of the cerebral ventricles of dogs, anesthetized with morphine-chloralose, with solns. having an increased CO2 and H+ concn. produced a stimulation of the respiration. On perfusing solns. with a decreased CO2 and H+ concn, the respiratory activity was depressed. These results were obtained in animals with intact and with denervated chemoreceptors. Evidence is presented for a direct influence of the solns. on the respiratory centers. During respiratory stimulation by an excess of CO2, blood pH increased while an increase in blood acidity was observed during the depression of respiration by a CO2-poor soln. These changes in the pH of the blood are to be considered as the sequence of the alterations in the respiratory activity. Because H+ and CO2 concn. were changing simultaneously, the expts. descr. above did not allow differentiation between a "CO2" or a "pH" influence.