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    Factors of lowered respiratory CO2 sensitivity by acetazolamide in anaesthetized rabbits
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    Abstract:
    Abstract The carbonic anhydrase (CA) inhibitor acetazolamide is a classic drug to treat patients with breathing disorders. Recent studies in rabbits showed that low-dose acetazolamide (not causing appreciable inhibition of red cell CA) significantly weakened respiratory muscle performance, accompanied by diminished ventilatory CO2-sensitivity, which implies stabilizing loop-gain properties. Now is aimed to explore the interaction of these factors under conditions of complete CA-inhibition by acetazolamide in a higher dose-range. In anesthetized rabbits (N=7), acetazolamide (up to 75 mg·kg−1) distinctly lowered the base excess (to-7.6 ± 0.9mM, mean ± SEM) without respiratory compensation of arterial pH. Ventilatory CO2-sensitivity was nearly abolished to 15.1 ± 5.2% of control, but the transmission of a CO2-mediated rise in tidal phrenic activity into respiratory work was only reduced by 51.6 ± 6.4%, P < 0.001, not very much more than (~38%) already observed at low-doses. Thus, the large reduction of ventilatory CO2-sensitivity in the high-dose range cannot be ascribed to respiratory muscle weakening, but rather may relate to complete inhibition of red cell CA. Conversely, CA-inhibition may not be the only cause for the weakening effect of acetazolamide on (respiratory) muscles. Adverse effects on respiratory muscles, impaired CO2-transport and acid-base imbalance may limit to make use of stabilizing effects on breathing control functions by high-dose acetazolamide.
    Keywords:
    Acetazolamide
    Respiratory compensation
    Carbonic anhydrase inhibitor
    Acid–base homeostasis
    We compared the effects of the carbonic anhydrase inhibitors methazolamide and acetazolamide (3 mg kg(-1), i.v.) on the steady-state hypoxic ventilatory response in 10 anaesthetized cats. In five additional animals, we studied the effect of 3 and 33 mg kg(-1) methazolamide. The steady-state hypoxic ventilatory response was described by the exponential function: *Vi= G exp(-D P(O2)) + A where *Vi is the inspired ventilation, G is hypoxic sensitivity, D is the shape factor and A is hyperoxic ventilation. In the first group of 10 animals, methazolamide did not change parameters G and D, while A increased from 0.86 +/- 0.33 to 1.30 +/- 0.40 l min(-1) (mean +/- s.d., P = 0.003). However, the subsequent administration of acetazolamide reduced G by 44% (control, 1.93 +/- 1.32; acetazolamide, 1.09 +/- 0.92 l min(-1), P = 0.003), while A did not show a further change. Acetazolamide tended to reduce D (control, 0.20 +/- 0.07; acetazolamide, 0.14 +/- 0.06 kPa(-1), P = 0.023). In the second group of five animals, neither low- nor high-dose methazolamide changed parameters G, D and A. The observation that even high-dose methazolamide, causing full inhibition of carbonic anhydrase in all body tissues, did not reduce the hypoxic ventilatory response is reminiscent of previous findings by others showing no change in magnitude of the hypoxic response of the in vitro carotid body by this agent. This suggests that normal carbonic anhydrase activity is not necessary for a normal hypoxic ventilatory response to occur. The mechanism by which acetazolamide reduces the hypoxic ventilatory response needs further study.
    Acetazolamide
    Carbonic anhydrase inhibitor
    Hypoxic ventilatory response
    Hypoxia
    Abstract The carbonic anhydrase (CA) inhibitor acetazolamide is a classic drug to treat patients with breathing disorders. Recent studies in rabbits showed that low-dose acetazolamide (not causing appreciable inhibition of red cell CA) significantly weakened respiratory muscle performance, accompanied by diminished ventilatory CO2-sensitivity, which implies stabilizing loop-gain properties. Now is aimed to explore the interaction of these factors under conditions of complete CA-inhibition by acetazolamide in a higher dose-range. In anesthetized rabbits (N=7), acetazolamide (up to 75 mg·kg−1) distinctly lowered the base excess (to-7.6 ± 0.9mM, mean ± SEM) without respiratory compensation of arterial pH. Ventilatory CO2-sensitivity was nearly abolished to 15.1 ± 5.2% of control, but the transmission of a CO2-mediated rise in tidal phrenic activity into respiratory work was only reduced by 51.6 ± 6.4%, P < 0.001, not very much more than (~38%) already observed at low-doses. Thus, the large reduction of ventilatory CO2-sensitivity in the high-dose range cannot be ascribed to respiratory muscle weakening, but rather may relate to complete inhibition of red cell CA. Conversely, CA-inhibition may not be the only cause for the weakening effect of acetazolamide on (respiratory) muscles. Adverse effects on respiratory muscles, impaired CO2-transport and acid-base imbalance may limit to make use of stabilizing effects on breathing control functions by high-dose acetazolamide.
    Acetazolamide
    Respiratory compensation
    Carbonic anhydrase inhibitor
    Acid–base homeostasis
    Citations (2)
    Improvement of blood gases with the carbonic anhydrase inhibitor acetazolamide in some patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is believed to result from an effect on the ventilatory control system. Carbonic anhydrase is ubiquitously present within the body, particularly in tissues involved in the control of breathing. Because low inhibitor concentrations are sufficient to block the enzyme in many tissues, it is of interest to document the effect of clinical doses of acetazolamide on the CO(2) sensitivities of the peripheral and central chemoreflex loops. In this study we measured the effect of chronic acetazolamide (250 mg by way of mouth, every 8 h during 3 days) on the dynamic ventilatory response to step changes in end-tidal PCO(2) in nine healthy volunteers. Data were analyzed using a two-compartment model comprising a fast peripheral and slow central compartment, enabling us to separate drug effects on the peripheral and central chemoreflex loops, respectively. Compared with placebo, acetazolamide did not change the CO(2) sensitivities and time constants of both chemoreflex loops. However, mean (+/- SD) resting ventilation increased from 12.22 +/- 2.41 to 14.01 +/- 1.85 L. min(-1), resulting in a decrease in end-tidal PCO(2) from 40.0 +/- 4.7 to 33.3 +/- 3.5 mm Hg. Base excess decreased from -0.08 +/- 1.20 to -7.48 +/- 2.07 mmol. L(-1), indicating metabolic acidosis and explaining a leftward shift of the CO(2) response curve by 7.3 mm Hg. Possible clinical implications of these results are discussed.
    Acetazolamide
    Carbonic anhydrase inhibitor
    Peripheral chemoreceptors
    Respiratory minute volume
    Central chemoreceptors
    Acetazolamide, a carbonic anhydrase (CA) inhibitor, was used to normalize metabolic alkalemia. A dosage of acetazolamide for normalizing metabolic alkalemia has not yet been experimentally determined. The dosage of acetazolamide for this purpose is experimentally calculated in this paper. The correlation between various concentration of acetazolamide mixed with blood and the base excess (BE) levels in blood at the start of normalizing metabolic alkalosis was studied in vitro. The change rate of the BE level was calculated from BE levels noted before and after tonometry of the blood with and without acetazolamide. A dosage of acetazolamide which can cause the change rate of the BE level to decrease is considered to be an effective dosage. Metabolic alkalosis in vitro was produced by adding bicarbonate into the blood. An effective dosage of acetazolamide for metabolic alkalemia of which the BE range was from 0 to + 30 mEq/liter was calculated. CA activities in the kidney and the blood of dogs administered acetazolamide were examined. The effective dosage of acetazolamide obtained from in vitro experiments inhibited the CA activities not only in the blood but also in the kidneys. An effective dosage of acetazolamide to normalize a BE of + 10 mEq/liter in vitro was converted into about 7-12 mg/kg in vivo. This dosage inhibited the red blood cell carbonic anhydrase (RCA) activity to 20-40%, whereas the normal physiological variation range is 25%. An effective dosage of acetazolamide in the blood did not proportionally increase with an increase of HCO3- during severe alkalosis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
    Acetazolamide
    Alkalosis
    Acid–base homeostasis
    Carbonic anhydrase inhibitor
    Bicarbonate
    Citations (0)
    Extracellular and intracellular acid-base parameters were measured in intact and nephrectomized rats treated with acetazolamide. Tissue cell pH values in muscle and brain were determined from both the distribution of CO2 and 5,5-dimethyloxazolidine-2,4-dione. It was found that acetazolamide produced a noncarbonic acidosis in intact animals, but caused a carbonic acid acidosis in nephrectomized animals. Despite the fall in extracellular pH caused by acetazolamide in intact animals, brain intracellular pH tended to rise. Muscle cell pH values did not change significantly in acetazolamide-treated intact or nephrectomized animals. The CO2 and 5,5-dimethyloxazolidine-2,4-dione methods gave qualitatively similar results in all experiments. It was concluded that the apparently small effect of acetazolamide on brain intracellular pH cannot be simply explained but may be a consequence of several factors including possible errors in the 5,5-dimethyloxazolidine-2,4-dione method when applied to brain intracellular acid-base studies after acetazolamide administration.
    Acetazolamide
    Acid–base homeostasis
    Intracellular pH
    Carbonic anhydrase inhibitor
    Acid–base reaction