The effect of hypoxia on plasma potassium concentration and the excitation of arterial chemoreceptors in the cat.

Intra-arterial recordings of potassium concentration ([K+]a) and arterial chemoreceptor discharge were made in six anaesthetized cats while tracheal PO2 was stepped every 2 min (end-tidal PO2 ca. 140, 60, 40 and 95 Torr) at constant PCO2 (33 Torr). [K+]a increased hyperbolically from 3.0 mM to 4.5 mM as arterial PO2 was lowered from 95 to 40 Torr. Because the discharge of arterial chemoreceptors is excited by hyperkalaemia as well as hypoxia, the hypoxic discharge of arterial chemoreceptors may have a component mediated by [K+]a. The mechanisms underlying the arterial K+ increase in hypoxia remain unknown.