Evidence of a role for the peripheral chemoreceptors in the ventilatory response to doxapram in man.

In seven normal subjects premedicated with atropine and pethidine and lightly anesthetized with thiopentone, the ventilatory response evoked by doxapram 20 mg i.v. was delayed on average from 15.7 s to 23.0 s when changing from air to oxygen breathing. Mean VE, immediately after the administration of doxapram was increased by 3.3 litre and 1.9 litre when breathing air and oxygen respectively. These findings indicate that doxapram has an effect on the peripheral chemoreceptors and are consistent with drug activity on both peripheral and central respiratory control mechanisms.