Synergistic action of myocardial oxygen and carbon dioxide in controlling coronary blood flow.

A two-part experiment was designed to test the hypothesis that myocardial oxygen and carbon dioxide tensions, as measured by coronary venous oxygen and carbon dioxide tensions, determine coronary blood flow during increases in myocardial oxygen consumption. The left main coronary artery was pump-perfused at constant pressure in closed-chest, anesthetized dogs. Oxygenators in the perfusion circuit permitted control of coronary arterial gas tensions. The steady-state relation between coronary venous oxygen and carbon dioxide tensions and coronary flow at a constant myocardial oxygen consumption was determined by locally altering coronary arterial oxygen and carbon dioxide tensions. Values of coronary venous oxygen and carbon dioxide tensions and coronary flow were also obtained at normal coronary arterial gas tensions during pacing-induced increases in myocardial oxygen consumption. The data yielded a hyperbolic relation among coronary venous oxygen and carbon dioxide tension and coronary flow during constant myocardial metabolism, suggesting a synergistic interaction between myocardial oxygen and carbon dioxide tensions in determining coronary flow. This relation was then used to predict the coronary flow change during pacing-induced increases in myocardial metabolism. Approximately 40% of the flow response during pacing-induced increases in myocardial oxygen consumption was predicted. In conclusion, coronary venous oxygen and carbon dioxide tensions synergistically interact to produce steady-state changes in coronary flow at a constant myocardial oxygen consumption. Changes in myocardial oxygen and carbon dioxide tensions can account for about 40% of the change in coronary flow during moderate changes in myocardial oxygen consumption.