Heterogeneous sensitivity of cerebral and muscle tissues to acute normobaric hyperoxia at rest

• The purpose was to investigate the effects of acute normobaric hyperoxia at rest on cerebral, respiratory and leg muscle oxygenation. Ten healthy men were studied twice in a single-blinded counterbalanced crossover study protocol. On one occasion they breathed air and on the other 100% normobaric O-2 for a 2-hour time period. Oxygenated (Delta[O(2)Hb]), deoxygenated (Delta[HHb]) and total (Delta[tHb]) hemoglobin in the cerebral frontal cortex, and in the intercostal and vastus lateralis muscles were simultaneously monitored with near-infrared spectroscopy. The hyperoxic stimulus promptly increased Delta[O(2)Hb] (similar to 2 mu M) and decreased Delta[HHb] (similar to 3.6 mu M) in the frontal cortex. These cerebral responses were directly and fully countered by resumption of normoxic air breathing. In contrast, Delta[HHb] significantly decreased due to the acute hyperoxic stimulus in both intercostal and vastus lateralis muscles. The temporal changes in muscle oxygenation were slower compared to those in the cerebral area; and they only partially recovered during the 15-min normoxic-recovery period. Acute supplementation of normobaric O-2 at rest influences cerebral, leg and respiratory muscle oxygenation of healthy individuals, but not in the same manner. Namely, the frontal cortex seems to be more sensitive to hyperoxia than are the skeletal muscle regions.

Keyword

Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

Human Skeletal-Muscle

Blood-Flow

Oxygen-Consumption

Healthy-Volunteers

O-2 Consumption

Conscious Dogs

Heart-Rate

Exercise

Humans

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)