Exchange of carbon dioxide in the pregnant rhesus monkey: multicompartmental analysis of carbon dioxide kinetics

Kotaro Suzuki; Albert A. Plentl; Karlis Adamsons

doi:10.1172/JCI106163

¹Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York 10032

Deceased.

Received for publication 22 October 1968 and in revised form 18 April 1969.

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¹Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York 10032

Deceased.

Received for publication 22 October 1968 and in revised form 18 April 1969.

Find articles by Plentl, A. in: JCI | PubMed | Google Scholar

¹Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York 10032

Deceased.

Received for publication 22 October 1968 and in revised form 18 April 1969.

Find articles by Adamsons, K. in: JCI | PubMed | Google Scholar

Published in Volume 48, Issue 11 on November 1, 1969
J Clin Invest. 1969;48(11):1967–1982. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI106163.
© 1969 The American Society for Clinical Investigation

Published November 1, 1969 - Version history

The exchange of carbon dioxide in the pregnant rhesus monkey has been studied quantitatively using sodium bicarbonate-¹⁴C and applying the model of a system of seven compartments. The transfer rates among the various compartments, compartment sizes, and the rate of production of carbon dioxide by fetus and mother were determined with a computer programmed to fit the theoretical model to the data by adjusting the parameter values of the model until a “best fit” was obtained. It was confirmed that the exchange of carbon dioxide between fetal and maternal blood across the placenta is rapid, that between fetal blood and amniotic fluid is slow, and that there is no appreciable exchange between maternal blood and amniotic fluid. The mean net production of CO₂ by fetus was 0.476 ±0.0402 mmoles/kg·min, and that by mother was 0.373 ±0.0279 mmoles/kg·min.

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