Mass Law Predicts Hyperbolic Hypoxic Ventilatory Response

6. Conclusion

The hyperbolic hypoxic ventilatory response vs PaO2, HVRp, is interpreted as relecting a mass hyperbolic relationship of cytochrome PcO2 to cytochrome potential Ec, offset 32 torr by the constant diffusion gradient between arterial blood and cytochrome in CB at its constant metabolic rate $\dot VO_2$. Ec is taken to be a linear function of redox reduction and CB ventilatory drive. As Ec rises in hypoxia, the absolute potentials of each step in the citric acid cycle rises equally while the potential drop across each step remains constant because flux rate remains constant. A hypothetic HVRs ($\dot VE$ vs SaO₂) response curve computed from these assumptions is strikingly non linear. A hypothetic HVRp calculated from an assumed linear HVRs cannot be fit to the observed hyperbolic increase of ventilation in response to isocapnic hypoxia at PO₂ less than 40 torr. The incompatibility of these results suggest that in future studies HVRs will not be found to be linear, especially below 80% SaO₂ and HVRp will fail to be accurately hyperbolic.