Figure 4
Oxygen deficit in control vs treated rats. Panel A, time course of O2 deficit in four control (dashed lines) and six vitamin B12-treated (continuous lines) rats, from the onset of bleeding (time 0) to death. In all rats, O2 deficit accumulated continuously during the bleeding period reaching 120 ml/kg at the end of the bleeding protocol (vertical arrow). Following the bleeding period, O2 deficit continued to accumulate in a ramp-like fashion, while in the rats that survived much longer, O2 deficit remained constant. There was no significant difference in the time course of O2 deficit between control and vitamin B12-treated rats. Panel B, relationship between O2 deficit and plasma lactate levels at the end of bleeding periods in control (open circles) and vitamin B12-treated (closed circles) rats (r2 = 0.79).