Microvascular research
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Microvascular research · Nov 2013
Acute, short-term hypercapnia improves microvascular oxygenation of the colon in an animal model of sepsis.
The deterioration of microcirculatory oxygenation of the gut plays a vital role in the development of sepsis. Acute hypercapnia enhances the microcirculatory oxygenation of the splanchnic region under physiological conditions, while the effect of hypercapnia under sepsis is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of acute hypercapnia and hypercapnic acidosis on the colonic microcirculation and early cytokine response in polymicrobial sepsis. ⋯ Acute hypercapnic acidosis and buffered hypercapnia both improve splanchnic microcirculatory oxygenation in a septic animal model, thereby counteracting the adverse effect induced by sepsis. The circulating pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine levels are not modulated after 120min of hypercapnia.