Chemoreflex blunting of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction is vagally mediated.

We investigated the role of the autonomic nervous system in the arterial chemoreceptor attenuation of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPV) using anesthetized dogs. Total pulmonary blood flow (Qt) and left pulmonary blood flow (Ql) were determined using electromagnetic flow probes. Carotid body chemoreceptors were perfused using blood pumped from an extracorporeal circuit containing an oxygenator. Four groups were used: 1) prevagotomy (control), 2) bilateral vagotomy, 3) post-atropine, and 4) post-propranolol. Left lung hypoxia decreased Ql/Qt from 42.9 +/- 2.9 to 28.1 +/- 3.0%, from 41.1 +/- 5.3 to 26.7 +/- 4.2%, from 38.6 +/- 1.3 to 22.2 +/- 2.4%, and from 48.2 +/- 4.2 to 28.5 +/- 3.7% in the four groups, respectively. Chemoreceptor stimulation during unilateral hypoxia increased Ql/Qt from 28.1 +/- 3.0 to 39.1 +/- 4.9% and from 28.5 +/- 3.7 to 40.6 +/- 3.7% in the control and propranolol groups. However, chemoreceptor stimulation had no effect on Ql/Qt during left lung hypoxia after vagotomy or atropine, as Ql/Qt went from 26.7 +/- 4.2 to 29.3 +/- 5.2% and from 22.2 +/- 2.4 to 24.1 +/- 1.5% in groups 2 and 3, respectively. Because chemoreceptor stimulation did not affect HPV in groups 2 and 3, we conclude that the chemoreceptor attenuation of HPV is mediated by the parasympathetic nervous system.