RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Effect of inhalation of different mixtures of O<sub>2</sub> and CO<sub>2</sub> on retinal blood flow
JF British Journal of Ophthalmology
JO Br J Ophthalmol
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.
SP 1143
OP 1147
DO 10.1136/bjo.86.10.1143
VO 86
IS 10
A1 Luksch, A
A1 Garhöfer, G
A1 Imhof, A
A1 Polak, K
A1 Polska, E
A1 Dorner, G T
A1 Anzenhofer, S
A1 Wolzt, M
A1 Schmetterer, L
YR 2002
UL http://bjo.bmj.com/content/86/10/1143.abstract
AB Aim: To determine the effects of various mixtures of O2 and CO2 on retinal blood flow in healthy subjects. Methods: A randomised, double masked, four way crossover trial was carried out in 12 healthy male non-smoking subjects. Gas mixtures (100% O2, 97.5% O2 + 2.5% CO2, 95% O2 + 5% CO2, and 92% O2 + 8% CO2) were administered for 10 minutes each. Two non-invasive methods were used: laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV) for measurement of retinal blood velocity and fundus imaging with the Zeiss retinal vessel analyser (RVA) for the assessment of retinal vessel diameters. Arterial pH, pCO2, and pO2 were determined with an automatic blood gas analysis system. Retinal blood flow through a major temporal vein was calculated. Results: Retinal blood velocity, retinal vessel diameter, and retinal blood flow decreased during all breathing periods (p &lt;0.001 each). Administration of 92% O2 + 8% CO2 significantly increased SBP, MAP, and PR (p &lt;0.001 each, versus baseline), whereas the other gas mixtures had little effect on systemic haemodynamics. Addition of 2.5%, 5%, and 8% CO2 to oxygen caused a marked decrease in pH and an increase in pCO2 (p &lt;0.001 versus pure oxygen). Conclusions: Breathing of pure oxygen and oxygen in combination with carbon dioxide significantly decreases retinal blood flow. Based on these data the authors speculate that hyperoxia induced vasoconstriction is not due to changes in intravascular pH and cannot be counteracted by an intravascular increase in pCO2.