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Human pulmonary vascular responses to hypoxia and hypercapnia

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Abstract

The ability of alveolar gas composition to influence pulmonary vascular tone has been appreciated for over 50 years. In particular, it has been proposed that both O2 and CO2 could play a role in the matching of perfusion to ventilation within the lung, improving the overall efficiency of gas exchange. A wide variety of experimental approaches has been used to investigate pulmonary vascular effects of the respiratory gases in a range of mammalian species. In this article, we review experiments performed in healthy humans, identify particular difficulties in the interpretation of such experiments, and discuss possible approaches to future study.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Professor Nigel West for helpful comments on this manuscript. This work was funded by the Dunhill Medical Trust.

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  1. University Laboratory of Physiology, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PT, United Kingdom

    K. L. Dorrington & N. P. Talbot

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Correspondence to K. L. Dorrington.

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Dorrington, K.L., Talbot, N.P. Human pulmonary vascular responses to hypoxia and hypercapnia. Pflugers Arch - Eur J Physiol 449, 1–15 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00424-004-1296-z

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