PART III

PART III.
THE FOUNDATIONS OF BUTEYKO'S THEORY

1. The Purpose of the Invention

The significance of K.P. Buteyko's invention resides in the fact that at deep respiration, an excessive removal of CO₂ takes place from an organism, resulting in the change of homeostasis which is partially neutralised by various compensating mechanisms. The developing disruption of homeostasis, accumulating for a long time (in fetus through mother's respiration) brings about the disruption of the above-mentioned biosynthetic and other processes. The state of health of people who suffer from shortage of carbon dioxide is impaired by defensive reactions of the organism displayed in the form of disruption of the processes of respiration and hemodynamics. However, it should be noted that if these defensive reactions which aggravate the health state of sick persons had not existed, these people would perish much faster.

2. The First Statement of the Theory

The deep respiration during which the rate of CO₂ exhalation from the organism somewhat exceeds the rate of its accumulation in the tissues, develops into a respiratory alkalosis characterised by the decrease in CO₂ and the increase in pH.

The respiratory alkalosis is accompanied, as a rule, by the state of oxygen deficiency which develops as a result of the inhibition of Verigo-Bohr effect, this brings about an occurrence of surplus of incompletely oxidised products of metabolism in the blood and therefore a development of the metabolic acidosis, which somehow compensates the deviations of pH caused by the respiratory alkalosis. However, it should be noted that this compensation is not fully adequate. As a result of these processes in the organism the following changes develop:

1) a shift occurs in the electrolytic composition of the extracellular fluid;

2) a shift occurs in pH of the extracellular fluid;

3) a shift of pH occurs in the cells as a consequence of the participation of cells in the reaction of pH normalisation of the extracellular fluid;

4) as a result of the renal activity in the elimination of HCO₃. which is connected with a tendency of the organism to normalise the ph, a depletion of the buffer capacity occurs in plasma;

5) owing to the change in ratio HCO₃^- cell/HCO₃^- plasma the diffusion rate of HCO₃^- changes from cell to blood plasma;

6) efficiency of the process is disrupted

H₂O + CO₂ <====> H₂CO₃ <====> H⁺ HCO₃^-

HbO₂ + H⁺ <====> HbH⁺ + O₂

because there is little CO₂ and no other acid can act similarly to H2CO3 in the metabolic reactions of oxygen;

7) disruption of the processes of synthesis: amino acids, nitrogenous bases, fats and carbohydrates.

The effect of all these changes is as follows:

1) a disruption of the formation: of proteins and peptides, of nucleic acids, lipids and carbohydrates;

2) a disruption in the work of enzymes originating as a result of the change in pH, a change in the carboxylation intensity;

3) a disruption in the metabolizable energy of the organism (a decrease in the formation of ATP).

Because of the above-mentioned disruptions the changes originate in various systems of an organism. At the decrease in dCO₂ and [H⁺] which develop as a consequence of deep respiration, the respiratory centre adapts to these concentrations with the result that an accommodation of deep respiration occurs. Later when CO₂ concentration becomes sufficiently low, the organism will feel acute shortage of O₂ and will start to react, not on the excess CO₂, but on the shortage of O₂ by depressing the respiration. As a result of this process, a positive reverse bond originates which will bring about an increase in the intensity of work of the system and in our case will even more depress the respiration up to the advance of an untimely catastrophe.

It is quite natural to assume the presence of certain defensive mechanisms which prevent excessive exhalation of CO₂ from the organism. Such mechanisms can be : stenosis of blood vessels, change in heart activity and constriction of respiratory pathways.

It is assumed that a choice of the defence method depends on the individual characteristics of the organism as well as on the intensity and breadth of processes leading to the depression of respiration. Because of this in a number of cases the constriction of lumen of vessels in a certain organ preferably takes place against the background of less noticeable constrictions of lumen of the remaining vessels and respiratory pathways of the organism, and in a number of cases a radical change in the respiration and (or) circulation takes place.

3. Comparison of Theoretical Conclusions with the Experimental Material

Let us consider how these conclusions of Buteyko's agree with the facts. In the book: " Introduction to Clinical Biochemistry " edited by Prof. I.I.Ivanov, Corresponding member of the- Academy of Medical Sci. of the U.S.S.R. (1969), it is quoted that patients having mitral defects of the heart show a clear relationship between the degree of development of the pathological process and the state of myocardial metabolism. During IV - V stages of the disease (according to the classification by Bakulaev) a decrease in the use of oxygen and succinatede-hydrogenase activity is observed in the muscle of auricular of the left atrium and the concentration of creatine phosphate decreases; additionally the intensity of glycolysis rises and the content of inorganic phosphate increases.

Also there is indicated that in 1963 Karsanov found a decrease in the total amount of actomyosin in the extracts from myocardium of persons who had died from chronically congested heart deficiency which originated as a result of defects, hypertony in systemic and pulmonary blood circulation and cardiosclerosis. The greater the decrease in the content of actomyosin in the extracts from from various heart sections, the higher the deficiency of the heart contracting function. In particular, in the composite mitral defect the actomyosin decreases preferably in the extracts from the atrium, right ventricle and right atrium. In the heart diseases resulting mainly in the deficiency of left ventricle, the decrease in content of actomyosin in the extracts from the left ventricle prevailed over its decrease in the extracts from the right ventricle.

F.Z.Meerson and T.Ya Zeyats (1960) assume that the disruption of constricting function of myocardium during chronic heart deficiency can be connected with the deterioration of protein synthesis in the myocardium and the exhaustion of plastic reserve of cells.

In rabbits with stenosis of the aorta, F.Z. Meerson and G.P. Ramenskaya (1960) observed a considerable decrease in DNA content in myocardium.

It is well known that one of the most characteristic pathological processes in the nervous tissue which develop as a primary damage or are accompanying other functional disorders of the nervous system, is the demyelinisation process. The nature of this process consists in the disintegration of structural, well-regulated on the molecular level, protein-lipid complex which forms myelin sheaths of grey matter nerves. It is thought that the demyelinisation process is connected with the change in the enzymic activity of lipid metabolism.

R.N.Phil'kevich in the article "Change of Protein Metabolism in Patients with Dermatosis" (Collection of Sci. Reports of the Central Committee Viral Institute, MZ U.S.S.R., 1978, No.22) indicates the presence of disproteinaceous shifts during the investigations of the protein fractions of blood serum using electrophoresis.

V.S.Shchelkunov et al. in the article "The Effect of Unloading Diet Therapy on the Protein Metabolism, Dynamics of the Exchange of Circulating Blood and Extracellular Fluid in Acute Pancreatitis" (Acute Pancreatitis. Biochemical Aspects. Leningrad, 1978) showed that considerable protein-volemic disruptions developed in patients with the edematose form of acute pancreatitis.

There is a great amount of data on the disruptions of protein metabolism in ulcer disease and atherosclerosis, etc.

There is little need to mention the enormous amount of literature published in connection with the metabolic change of fatty acids and the decrease in absorption of O2 in the heart during ischemia.

I think, it is worth noting the article by I.I.Zhuravasky et al. "The Effect of the Change in Carbon Dioxide (HCO₃^- and CO₂) Level in the Blood on the Biosynthesis of Antibodies in Chickens" (Reports of the U.S.S.R- Academy of Sci., 1981, NoB), in which particularly it is confirmed that the origination of metabolic acidosis in chickens inhibits the formation of antibodies by 12.7 - 32.6% in comparison with the control.

In the article "Cromolin and Bronchial Spasm Induced by Deep Respiration", Pneumonologie, 1975, 153 (1), Messerlich et al. write about the development of bronchial spasm caused by the deep respiration. Kilham H. et al. in the article "Running, Walking, Hyperventilation Causing Asthma in Children" draw a conclusion that the hyperventilation brings about asthma in children.

Finally, in order to have a full picture, I would like to mention the article of Chr. Marinov "The Change and Some Mechanisms of the Disruption in Acid-Alkaline Equilibrium in Acquired Heart Defects", where it is, noted that in the study of 76 patients with the acquired heart defects and heart deficiency of various degree, the presence of respiratory alkalosis accompanied by metabolic acidosis was established.

It can be said that the obtained data are in full agreement with the conclusions made on the basis of Buteyko's theory. Namely, in various diseases both the changes in pH just in the direction predicted by the theory, and the changes in biosynthesis of polymers as well as in the absorption of oxygen by tissues have been noted.

Thus, the theory being developed on the basis of the internal logic, results in a number of deductions which do not contradict the independently obtained experimental data. This means that the developed theory has the right to be considered suitable for the explanation and structuring of the existing experimental material in reference to the process of origin of the diseases.

4. The Second Statement of the Theory

According to the first statement of Buteyko's theory two components can be indicated in the concept "disease":

1) a disease as the change of functions in the organism owing to the deficiency in CO₂;

2) a disease as the defensive reaction of the organism to the removal CO₂.

Because the second component follows from the first component, according to Buteyko's opinion, it is sufficient to eliminate the disease connected with the deficiency of CO₂. The effect of this will be the elimination of the disease connected with the defensive reaction of the organism to the removal of CO₂.

The reverse process of the reaction is possible because all the discussed biochemical ways are reversible, if not directly, then via the stages.

Thus, Buteyko's discovery makes it possible at least to stop the course of the disease and improve a patient's state of health by intensifying various metabolic reactions and other processes and thus to reverse the course of the disease up to its complete regression, restoring the initial status of the organism.

It should be noted that at the present time in a majority of cases the main efforts of doctors are directed to treat a disease connected with the defensive reaction of the organism to the deficiency of CO₂ (this represents a search and use of all available spasmolytics, activators of heart activity,, etc.) . According to Buteyko's idea this makes the basic disease connected with the deficiency of CO₂ worse, and never leads to curing the second disease, since the symptoms of the basic disease being Just somehow suppressed in one place can start developing in another place.

5. The Method for Intentional Cessation of Deep Respiration

For elimination of the basic disease K.P Buteyko offered the method for intentional cessation of deep respiration (ICDR).

On decrease of deep respiration less oxygen enters the lungs, CO₂ is accumulated and the respiratory centre becomes adapted to its high concentrations. As a consequence of intensified Verigo-Bohr effect the oxygen from the blood enters more actively into the tissues, this leads to better oxidation of the substrates and therefore to the decrease in the concentration of incompletely oxidised products. The increase, in [H⁺] caused by ICDR method is eliminated by the function of kidneys, which, on the one hand, intensify the removal of H⁺ ions and on the other hand, slow down the removal of HCO₃^-. As a result of this process, the concentration of non-volatile acids decreases and the buffer capacity of plasma increases. This together with the restoration of all above mentioned processes culminates in the destruction of the basic disease.

6. Conclusion

The main statements of Buteyko's theory are based on the enormous amount of experimental material on the role of carbon dioxide in the processes of an organism activity and on the concepts of reversibility of biochemical processes, involving the regressive changes in the development of diseases, which were repeatedly verified during the approbations in Moscow and Leningrad.

Buteyko K.P. Oscillographs and Hypertonia. Is "Enhanced" Breathing Beneficial? Izobretatell I Ratsionalizator. 1962. No.5.
Buteyko K.P. Shurgaya Sh.I.Functional Diagnosis of Coronary Disease. Thesis from Symposium on Surgical Treatment of Coronary Disease, Moscow, 1962.
Buteyko K.P., Demin D.V. Cross-correlational Analysis of Physiological Functions. Izv.Sib.Otd. AN SSSR. 1963, No.6. Ser.biol.med.nauk.Vypusk Issue) 2.
Buteyko K.P., Odintsova M.P., Demin D.V. The Influence of Hyper and Hypoxaemia on the Tonus of Peripheral Vessels. Proceeding of the Second Siberia Scientific Conference of Therapists, Irkutsk, 1964.
Buteyko K.P., Demin D.V., Odintsova M.P. The Application of Regressive Analysis for Differentiation of the Influence of Gaseous Components of the Arterial Blood on the Functional State of Fine Peripheral Arteries. Materialy Vtoroy sib. Nauchnoy Konf. Terapevtov. Irkutsk, 1964.
Buteyko K.P., Demin D.V.,, Odintsova M.P. The Mathematical Analysis of Interreaction of Physiological tigation Factors. Physics-Mathematical Methods for Inves in Biology and Medicine. Materialy Pervoy Novosib- Conf., Novosibirsk/, 1965.
Buteyko K.P., Demin Dove,, Odintsova M.P. The Relationship between the Ventilation of the Lungs and the Tone of Arterial Vessels in Patients with Hypertonic Disease and Stenocardia. Fiziologichni Zhurnal, 1965. Vol.II, No.5 (in Ukrrainian).
Buteyko K.P., Demin D.V., Odintsova M.P. The Relationship between the Carbon Dioxide in Alveoles, Arterial Pressure and Cholesterol in Blood in Patients with Hypertonic Disease and Stenocardia. Materialy Tretley Sib. Nauchn. Conf. Terapevtov. irkutsk, 1965. (Proceedings of the Third Siberian Sci. Conference of Therapists).
Buteyko K.P. The Cross-Correlational Technique of Analysis of Physiological Regulations. Materialy VII Vsesoyuzn. Conf. po Avtomat. Kontrolyu i Metodam Elektr. Izmereniy. Novosibirsk, 1965, (Proc. of the VII-Union Conference on Automatic Control and Methods for Electrical Measurements).
Buteyko K.P. The Complex Investigations into Functional Systems in Biology and Medicine. (Reports of the Medical Electronics Section of the 9th Regional Sci.-Tech. Conference Dedicated to the Day of. Radio). Dokl. Sektsii Med. Elektroniki 9-oy Obl. Nauchn.-Tekhn. Conf. Posvyashchennoy Dnyu Radio, Novosibirsk, 1966.
Buteyko K.P., Demin D.V., Odintsova M.P. The Relationship between the Partial Pressure in Alveolar Air and the Tone of Peripheral Arteries in Patients with Hypertonic Disease and Stenocardia. Zdravookhranenie Turkmenistana. 1966. No.2 (Public Health of Turkmenistan. 1966, No.2).
Buteyko K.P., Demin D.V., Odintsova M.P. The Effect of Carbon Dioxide on the Coronary Efferent Arteries in Patients with Hypertonic Disease and Atherocardiosclerosis. Zdravookhranenie Kazakhranenie Kazakhstana. 1966. No. 6 (The Kazakhstan Public Health, 1966, No.6).
Buteyko K.P., Demin D.V., Odintsova M.P. A Linear Model for Regulation of Vascular Tone by Gaseous Components of Arterial Blood. Dokl. 9-oy Obl. Nauchn.-Tekhn. Conf., Posvyashchennoy Dnyu Radio. Novosibirsk, 1966.
Buteyko K.P. et al. The Influence of Intentional Regulation of Respiration on Some Physiological Functions at Altitude. Voprosy Aviatsionnoy Meditsiny (Problems of Aviation Medicine). Moscow, 1966.
Buteyko K.P., Chasovskikh S.F.,, Demin D.V. An Indirect Determination of the Degree of Hypertension of Pulmonary Circulation According to the Data of Calibrated Phonocardiography. Materialy 4-oy Povolzhskoy Conf. Fiziologov, Biokhimikov i Farmakologov- Saratov, 1966. T.l. (Proceedings of the 4th Volga River Conference of Physiologists, Biochemists and Pharmacologists. Saratov, 1966, Vol.1).
Buteyko K.P., Odintsova M.P., Demin D.V. The Influence of Hyper- and Hypoxaemia on the Tone of Arterial Vessels. Sovetskaya Meditsina. 1967. No.3 (Soviet Medicine, 1967. No3)-
Murakhtanova Z.M., Buteyko K.P. et al. Concerning Characteristic of External Respiration in Patients with Scoliosis. Sbornik Rabot Novosib. Instituta Travmatologii i Ortopedii. Novosibirsk, 1967. (Collection of Reports of the Novosibirsk Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics. Novosibirsk, 1967).
Buteyko K.P. et al. The Use of Correlation Methods for Investigation of Cardiovascular System. Mat. Metody v Aviatsionnoy i Kosmicheskoy Meditsine. - Moscow, 1967 (Mathematical Methods in Aviation and Cosmic Medicine).
Buteyko K.P., Demin D.V., Odintsova M.P. The Mutual Information of Heartrythm and Other Physiological Human Functions according to the Data of Cross-Correlative Analysis. Mat. Metody Analiza Sergechnogo Ritma. Moscow, 1968 (Mathematical Methods for Analysis of Heart Rythm. M., 1968).
Buteyko K.P., Odintsova M.P., Nasonkina P.S. The Ventilation Test for Patients -with Bronchial Asthma. Vrachebnoe Delo, 1968, No.4 (Medical Treatment. 1968, No.4).
Buteyko K.P., Odintsova M.P. Hyperventilation as One of the Reasons for the Spasm of Nonstriated Musculature of the Bronchi and Arterial Vessels. Materialy 4-oy Nauchn.-Praktich. Conf. po Vrachebn- Kontrolyu i Lechebnoy Fizkulture. Sverdlovsk, 1968 (Proceedings of the 4th Scientific-Practical Conference on Medical Control and Medical Physical Culture. Sverdlovsk, 1968).
Buteyko K.P. Complex Methods for Investigation of Cardiovascular System and Respiration. Voprosy Funktsionallnoy Diagnostiki. Novosibirsk,, 1969 (Problems of Functional Diagnostics. Novosibirsk, 1969).
Buteyko K.P. The Theory of CO₂-Deficient Diseases of Civilisation as an Adaptation to the Evolution of Atmosphere. Kiberneticheskie Aspekty Adaptatsii Sistemy "Chelovek-Sredall. Tez. Seminars. Moscow, 1975 (Cybernetic Aspects of Adaptation of the System "Man-Environment". Seminar Thesis, M., 1975).
Buteyko K.P. Therapy of Hemohypocarbia. Patent No.1067640. Registered in the State Record of Inventions of the U.S.S.R., 15.9.1983.
Buteyko K.P., Genina V.A. Concerning Pathogenesis of Asthma Attack during Physical Exercise. Non-medical Methods for Treatment of Patients with Bronchial Asthma. Tez. Dokl. Vsesoyuzn. Conf. Moscow, 1986 (Report Thesis from the All-Union Conference. M., 1986).
Buteyko K.P., Genina V.A. The Comparison of Justification and Effectiveness of the Complex, Symptomatic and Monoetiological Principles of Treatment of Bronchial Asthma and Other Allergies. Ibid.
Buteyko K.P., Genina V.A. The Theory of Discovery of Deep Respiration (Hypervention) as a Main Cause of Allergic,, Bronchial-vascular-spasmodic and Other Diseases of Civilisation. Ibid.
Buteyko K.P., Genina V.A., Nasonkina N.S The Reactions of Sanogenesis in Medical Treatment Using the ISDR Method. Ibid.
Putintsev E.V., Varlamova Z.A., Meshcheryakova L.R. Concerning Medical Physical Culture for-Bronchial Asthma. Sb.Materialov k Godichnoy Nauchnoy Sessii Instituta. Novokuznetsk, 1967 (Collection of Reports for Annual Sci. Session of the Institute. Novokuznetsk, 1967).
Shelomova K.V. Intentional Normalisation of Respiration in the Complex of Medical Physical Culture for Bronchial Asthma. Proceedings of the 4th Sci. -Practical Conf. on Medical Control and Medical Physical Culture. Sverdlovsk, 1968 (as in 22).
Panova L.A. Bronchial Asthma - a Model of Adaptation to the Changed Environmental Conditions. (As in 24.).
Gavalov S.M., Genina V.A., Gavalova R.F. Intentional Regulation of Respiration in Complex Medical Treatment of Bronchial Asthma in Children. Saratov, 1976.
Genina V.A., Glur-,henko I.R. The Construction of a Generalised Indicator of the Bronchial Asthma Condition. Methods for Physical Measurements of Parameters of the Ecological Systems and the Mathematical Processing of the Obtained Data. Novosibirsk, 1982.
Genina V.A. The Role of Hyperventilation in the Pathogenesis of Bronchial Asthma and Its Medical Treatment by means of Reduction in Ventilation of the Lungs. Epidemiological Characteristics of Non-r.,pecific Diseases of the Lungs in Various Professional Groups. Novosibirsk, 1982.
Genina V.A. et al. The Medical Treatment of Bronchial Asthma in Children Using the Method of Intentional Normalisation of Respiration (INR) according to the Data of the 1st MMI Children's Clinic. Pediatriya, 1982, No.2 (Pediatrics, 1982, No.2).
Genina V.A. The Technique for Elimination of Chronic Hyperventilation in the Treatment of Patients with Obstructive Syndrome. Medical Treatment of Non-specific Diseases of the Lungs.

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PART III. THE FOUNDATIONS OF BUTEYKO'S THEORY

PART III.
THE FOUNDATIONS OF BUTEYKO'S THEORY