Intramucosal-arterial PCo<SUB>2</SUB> gap does reflect tissue dysoxia

Abstract

The main criticism of Gutierrez and Turkan to our recent paper is the absence of anaerobic metabolism in the hypoxic hypoxia (HH) group as an explanation for lack of increase in intramucosal–arterial PCO<SUB>2</SUB> gradient (∆PCO<SUB>2</SUB>). Despite their elegant arguments, we still believe that the animals in the IH group were in an anaerobic state. Our statement is supported by the following.