Oxygen Tension of Subcutaneous Gas Pockets in Cobalt-Treated Mice and Adrenalectomized Mice. ∗

Abstract

Summary

The gas pocket method of estimating O₂ tension of subcutaneous tissue was utilized to see if the protection afforded by CoCl₂ and adrenalectomy in high oxygen pressure could be due to a generalized depression of tissue pO₂. (a) Mice previously treated with cobalt and control animals previously treated with saline were studied in O₂ at one atmosphere and in room air. (b) Pockets were observed in an experimental group during a period of cobalt injections and in control animals which received saline injections. (c) Gas pockets in a group of adrenalectomized mice were compared with those in intact, untreated controls. The cobalt injections produced an increase in pO₂ of the gas pocket which appeared the first day after beginning treatment. The adrenalectomized mice showed no difference from their controls in gas pocket pO₂. Since decreased pO₂ was not observed, it was concluded that the protection of the two treatments against oxygen toxicity must be due to other factors.