Solubility of inert gases in dog blood and skeletal muscle.

Solubility of H2, Ar, CH4 and SF6 was determined at 310 K (37 degrees C) in water, in saline (0.154 mol NaCl/l H2O), in plasma and whole blood of dogs, and in homogenates of the dog gastrocnemius muscle. The liquids were equilibrated with pure gases, and the dissolved gases were extracted and measured by gas chromatography as described previously (Meyer, M.: Pflügers Arch. 375, 161--165, 1978). In saline, the solubilities were 4% (SF6) to 15% (Ar) lower than in water. For dog blood the following mean values for the solubility coefficient (in mumol . 1(-1) . kPa-1) were found: for H2, 6.44; for Ar, 9.94; for CH4, 11.44; for SF6, 2.62. The red cell/plasma and the muscle/blood solubility ratios were near unity for H2, Ar and CH4 (ranging from 0.9 to 1.3); for SF6, however, they were much higher (about 2.1), apparently due to the high solubility of SF6 in hydrophobic substances (lipids).