Altered tissue oxygen tension responsiveness in diabetes

Summary Subcutaneous oxygen tension (tissue P o 2 ) was measured by a polarographic method in the legs of insulin-dependent diabetics (IDDM) and controls. Current flow was measured continuously using a five-stage protocol: (1) baseline; (2) 4 min of complete arterial occlusion; (3) during recovery from ischemia; (4) baseline approximately re-established; (5) induction of hyperemia by local application of heat. Eleven patients with IDDM of 4–32 years of duration, without peripheral arterial disease, were studied and compared with 10 controls. The mean baseline subcutaneous P o 2 in diabetics was less than controls; however, the difference was not statistically significant. At the end of arterial occlusion the mean decrease in tissue P o 2 was less ( P P o 2 was lower ( P The observed differences provide for the first time direct evidence of altered tissue P o 2 responses in diabetes.