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On Wed, 4 May 1994, Tom Stibolt wrote:

> Not really.  Hypoxia causes vasodilation and hyperoxia removes the
> vasodilatory effect.  Hyperoxia does not cause significant systemic
> vasoconstriction (people don't lose legs and arms breathing 2.0 ATA O2
> in a chamber for instance) as you are assuming so there is no effect to be
> "countered" by CO2.

Are you sure about that?  I have always read that O2 is a vasoconstrictor
- not an inhibitor of vasodialation.  People don't lose arms & legs in
chambers because:
1) vasoconstriction does not equate to zero blood flow (as pointed out by
Prime Rat); and
2) there is so much dissolved oxygen in the blood & tissues during
hyperoxia that the tissues do not get hypoxic (if they did, the
vasoconstriction effect would reduce, and the tissues would get the needed
blood flow).

Again:  Yes? No? Maybe?  I'm not trying to portray myself as a medical
expert here - I am most certainly NOT such an expert.  I just want to make
sure I understand....

Aloha,

Rich

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