Lack of oxygen, which damages vital organs

Lack of oxygen, which damages vital organs

Susceptibility to hypoxia varies between tissues. For example, the brain is very vulnerable to lack of oxygen and can result in death within minutes if the brain does not receive this oxygen for aerobic metabolism. However, the skeletal muscle in an arm or leg can undergo anaerobic metabolism (without the need for oxygen) for several minutes or longer (depending on the person's training) before harmful effects are felt. In this article we explain the tissues most vulnerable to oxygen starvation (or hypoxia). These include watersheds, subendocardial tissue, and the renal cortex/medulla.

The watershed areas are areas between two blood vessels (hence the name watershed). Examples of watersheds include the tissue supplied by both the anterior and middle cerebral arteries (the area of ​​the brain between these two arteries). Another example is an area near the spleen (specifically the splenic flexure of the intestine) that is supplied by the superior and inferior mesenteric arteries.

Subendocardial tissue (from the heart) is also susceptible to hypoxia. This area is supplied by coronary arteries that pass through the epicardial surface to reach subendocardial tissue. Patients with coronary artery disease may experience symptoms of chest pain during stress (such as exercise).

Finally, certain parts of the kidney (renal cortex and medulla) are also very susceptible to a lack of oxygen. The proximal tubule (straight portion) is most vulnerable and the renal medulla (thick ascending portion) is also very vulnerable.

Due to increased tissue vulnerability, hypoxia can damage these vital organs (brain, heart and kidney). In summary, brain damage occurs in strokes, heart attacks result in irreversible heart damage, and kidney failure can result from infarcts in the arteries that supply blood to the kidney (renal artery).

Inspired by Saifullah Nasir