3.8. The role of ventilation in the regulation of the pH, in the development and compensation of the acid-base imbalances in the body. Flashcards
I. Alveolar CO2-tension
1. Which organ does pCO2 depend mostly on?
respiration (alveolar ventilation equation)
I. Alveolar CO2-tension
2. Which equations we can you to find pCO2?
pCO2 depends mostly on respiration (alveolar ventilation equation), and since we can find pCO2 in the Henderson- Hasselbalch equation as well:
- We can alter the pH of the blood with our respiration (easily and quickly)
I. Alveolar CO2-tension
3. How does rate of ventilation determine the pCO2?
- Increase in alveolar ventilation -> lower pCO2
- Decrease in alveolar ventilation -> higher pCO2
- The relationship between the ventilatory rate and the pCO2 is expressed as following:
I. Alveolar CO2-tension
4. What are the consequences of changing pCO2 in blood?
- Increase in pCO2 -> lower pH
- Decrease in pCO2 -> higher pH
I. Alveolar CO2-tension
5. Why isn’t the key thing for our respiration necessarily O2?
Key thing for our respiration is not necessarily O2, but to maintain pCO2-levels for the pH
II. Effect of alveolar ventilation on pCO2 and pO2
1. Characteristics of Hyperventilation
Hyperventilation: when ventilation is more than metabolically necessary
- pCO2 < 40mmHg
- pCO2 decreases => pH↑
II. Effect of alveolar ventilation on pCO2 and pO2
2. Characteristics of Hypoventialtion
Hypoventilation: when ventilation is less than metabolically necessary
- pCO2 > 40mmHg
- pCO2 increases => pH↓
II. Effect of alveolar ventilation on pCO2 and pO2
3. Can respiration regulate pH? Give examples
Respiration can regulate the pH: can either be the solution to the problem or the cause of the problem
- Ex: in high altitudes, where O2-levels are low, we ventilate a lot (hyperventilation = pH↑)
- pH increase important for saturation of Hb (pushes the Hb-saturation curve to the left)
III. Chemoreceptors and acid-base balance
1. What are the 2 types of chemoreceptors participate in acid-base balance?
- Central chemoreceptors (CCR)
- Peripheral chemoreceptors (PCR)
III. Chemoreceptors and acid-base balance
2A. How can Central chemoreceptors (CCR) regulate pH?
- represents 75% of the ventilation drive at rest
- located in CNS (ventrolateral medulla)
- CCRs senses ([H+]) pH in ECF and CSF, indirectly by measuring the pCO2
+) There is a BBB here: only CO2 can pass – H+ and HCO3- cannot
+) CO2 will become H+ and HCO3-, and there will be an increase in HCO3- and H+ in CSF
o H+ is in nmol-range, while HCO3- are in mmol-range
=> pCO2↑ = pH↓: HCO3- - level cannot change it (short term)
=> Adaptation, due to many mechanism the HCO3- level will increase and decrease the pH to normal values (long term)
III. Chemoreceptors and acid-base balance - Central chemoreceptors (CCR)
2B. Why isn’t the HCO3- changing?
o Because there is no other buffer in the CSF, only the CO2/HCO3- -
buffer
o But if a change happens in HCO3-:
- It cannot buffer so much because H+ is increasing (due to CO2)
- HCO3- should counter the pH-changing effect of CO2, but it is
difficult since no others are present
III. Chemoreceptors and acid-base balance
3. How can Peripheral chemoreceptors (PCR) participate in acid-base balance?
- Located in the aortic arch (aortic bodies) and carotid bifurcation (carotid bodies)
- Senses pH and arterial pO2 directly (+ CO2-levels)
- Less sensitive to pCO2
=> If the CCRs have adapted to some unusual pCO2-levels, the PCRs can detect that the pH is not normal (very important mechanism)
IV. ACID-BASE DISORDERS
1. Integration of pH control systems
a) How does pH control system work?
There is a constant acid challenge in the body. Therefore, we have different lines of defenses
- 1st line of defense: chemical buffering
- 2nd line of defense: respiratory buffering
- 3rd line of defense: renal buffering
IV. ACID-BASE DISORDERS
1. Integration of pH control systems
B) How does 1st line of defense: chemical buffering work?
- Chemically buffer the protons that are being produced
- 70mmol of nonvolatile acids are to be buffered
- Works rapidly (second-scale)
IV. ACID-BASE DISORDERS
1. Integration of pH control systems
B) How does 2nd line of defense: respiratory buffering work?
- Buffer mainly the CO2 (volatile acid)
- Exhale 15,000mmol of CO2
- Works relatively fast (minute-scale)
IV. ACID-BASE DISORDERS
1. Integration of pH control systems
C) How does 3rd line of defense: renal buffering work?
- Acts slowly (hour-scale)
- Production of ‘’new’’ HCO3-
- H+ excreted (combined with urinary buffers)
- NH4+ traps H+
=> Last to processes protect the bladder, without the buffer the environment in the urinary bladder would be very acidic (like in the stomach!)