Utilization of Oxygen by Normal and Trauma-Resistant Rats Following Trauma and Exposure to Hypoxia

Abstract

No difference could be demonstrated between resting oxygen consumption of trauma-resistant and control rats, or their oxygen consumption at various levels of hypoxia. No difference could be demonstrated in the mean death time of trauma-resistant and control rats when subjected to low environmental oxygen tension. It was shown that the trauma-resistant rats were able to accelerate oxygen consumption following an amount of trauma which was sufficient to cause about 50% mortality and a decreased O₂ utilization in control rats. It was not possible to predict from the immediate Qo₂ following trauma whether a control rat in shock would survive or die. The data show that the trauma-resistant state is not characterized by an ability of the animal to tolerate cellular hypoxia or ischemia. The data are used to propose that the trauma-resistant state is characterized by a vascular system which maintains its integrity following trauma.