Acute hypoxemia and hypercapnia: increase in plasma catecholamines in conscious dogs.

To systemically evaluate the effects of acute hypoxemia and hypercapnic acidosis on the sympathetic nervous system, five unanesthetized mongrel dogs were studied during acute hypoxemia [arterial O2 tension (PaO2) 33 +/- 2 Torr], acute hypercapnic acidosis [arterial CO2 tension (PaCO2) 53 +/- 1 Torr; pH, 7.19 +/- 0.02], and combined acute hypoxemia and hypercapnic acidosis (PaO2, 36 +/- 1 Torr; PaCO2, 52 +/- 1 Torr; pH, 7.18 +/- 0.02). Combined acute hypoxemia and hypercapnic acidosis resulted in increased mean arterial pressure, cardiac output, and heart rate. Moreover, combining acute hypoxemia and hypercapnic acidosis acted synergistically to increase circulating norepinephrine and epinephrine. Acute hypoxemia alone and acute hypercapnic acidosis alone resulted in reversible increases in mean arterial pressure, cardiac output, heart rate, and circulating norepinephrine. Although plasma epinephrine concentrations increased during acute hypoxemia, circulating epinephrine was unchanged during acute hypercapnic acidosis. These data indicate that acute hypoxemia and hypercapnic acidosis result in synergistic increase in circulating catecholamines.