Effect of unilateral inactivation of brain hemispheres on hypoxic resistance in mice.

The effects of unilateral cortical spreading depression on the resistance to acute hypoxia with hypercapnia were studied in male SHR mice. The life-span of mice with active right hemisphere was significantly longer than that of intact, but not of sham-operated (active control) animals. Mice with active left hemisphere differed significantly from intact and active control animals. It seems that the right hemisphere supports the optimal level of resistance to hypoxia with hypercapnia, while the left hemisphere performs the "antihypoxic" function. Additional analysis found no differences between the hemispheres in mice with low hypoxic resistance. The differences between the hemispheres increased with increasing the resistance to hypoxia.