Acid-base balance and blood lactate and pyruvate levels in albino rats bred under normobaric hypoxia or normoxia, after muscular work in a hypoxic or hypoxic-hypercapnic environment

Abstract

Albino rats, Wistar family, have been raised since birth in normobaric hypoxic environment (10-12% O2). This hypoxic animal group and a normoxic animal group were subjected to muscular fatigue by forced march within revolving room. Normoxic animals were subjected to 3 spaced trials: in normoxic environment; in hypoxic normobaric environment; in the same hypoxic normobaric environment with about 2% CO2 added. Hypoxic animals were subjected to 2 spaced trials: in hypoxic normobaric environment; in the same hypoxic environment with about 2% CO2 added. At the end of every single trial, lactatemia, blood pyruvate, acid-base balance and the erythrocytic number were examined. Albino rats raised in hypoxic environment since birth, subjected to muscular work in hypoxic environment showed a smaller increase of lactatemia and a moderate variation of the acid-base balance, compared to normoxic animals in the same conditions. CO2 added to the respired hypoxic mixture during muscular work, attenuated in both animal groups, the observed modifications. Finally we found that the erythrocytes per mm3 of blood increased from the second drawing of blood.