Rate of uptake of endogenous cortisol by the left ventricle of the anaesthetized dog during ventilation with ambient air and during hypoxia.

1. The rate of uptake of endogenous cortisol by the left ventricle was determined in eight dogs as the product of the left ventricular myocardial plasma flow and the coronary arteriovenous difference in plasma cortisol concentration. The arteriovenous difference in hormone concentration in resting skeletal muscle (M. gracilis) was also measured. The values given are means +/- S.E.2. During ventilation with ambient air (arterial P(O2): 85 +/- 2 mm Hg), the rate of cortisol uptake by the left ventricle averaged 382 +/- 92 ng/100 g.min. The arteriovenous difference in hormone concentration in the vessels of the M. gracilis was more than twice that in the coronary vessels. Assuming a value of 3-4 ml./100 g.min for the blood flow in this muscle, the corresponding rate of cortisol uptake would be in the range of 25-33 ng/100 g.min.3. During hypoxia (arterial P(O2): 35 +/- 1 mm Hg), the rate of cortisol uptake by the left ventricle was not significant, averaging 26 +/- 113 ng/100 g.min. By contrast, the skeletal muscle still extracted significant amounts of cortisol from the plasma. It is inferred that the suppression of a significant uptake of the hormone by the left ventricle was related, at least in part, to the changes in the mechanical and associated metabolic activity of the heart muscle elicited by the lowering of the arterial P(O2).4. Hypoxia depressed the net uptake of cortisol by the left ventricle rather than the uptake mechanism itself. Indeed, bi-directional movements of cortisol between the plasma and the heart muscle, with rates of release up to 1150 ng/100 g.min, were observed.