RESUMEN
In 13 anesthetized or awake dogs, on cardiopulmonary bypass, we varied PaO2 and PaCO2 while continuously monitoring ventilatory responses and mechanics, to assess the dog's ability to maintain eupneic ventilation for any chemical drive. In a second group of 13 dogs on cardiopulmonary bypass we repeated the tests after removal of both lungs, to assess the importance of pulmonary feedback and mechanics. The VE/PO2 plot formed two hyperbolas, asymptotic to 39 Torr PO2 with lungs, and to 27 without; both intercepted zero ventilation near 200 Torr. Hyperoxic apnea occurred at, or below, PCO2 30 +/- 7 Torr under barbiturate and 20 +/- 4 Torr under morphine. Steady-state low PCO2 (10 Torr) turned off hypoxic drives as low as 20 Torr PO2. Empty-chest dogs had a low respiratory frequency (18 vs. 40), and near zero dynamic elastance; ventilatory work per minute and airway resistance were the same with and without lungs. Chest wall ventilatory responses are grossly independent of the presence of absence of lungs.