Hydrostatic homeostatic effects during changing force environments.

The G tolerance of internal organs depends on how closely force environments in body cavities mimic an aqueous system. Hydrostatic gradients in peritoneal and pericardial cavities sustain venous return and uniform transmyocardial pressures so that normotensive arterial pressures at heart level persist during initial (about 7 s) sudden sustained exposures to Gz acceleration followed by a compensatory baroreceptor-mediated hypertension. Further, cerebrospinal fluid hydrostatics-mediated negative intracranial pressures sustain cerebral perfusion and cognition in spite of Gz-produced zero or near zero systolic pressures at head level. Differences in the approximately 0 and 1.0 specific gravities of intra-alveolar gases and surrounding blood and tissues, respectively, render lung anatomy and functions highly susceptible to the force environment. Hydrostatic gradients in dependent regions, simultaneously with small gradients in superior regions, appear to be nature's method for decreasing force environment-mediated regional ventilation and perfusion inequalities within the thorax.