Arteriolar and capillary responses to CO2 and H+ in hamster skeletal muscle microvasculature: Implications for active hyperemia.

CO2 and H+ produce arteriolar vasodilation but, critically, cannot stimulate the spread of vasodilation throughout the network, thus limiting their ability to coordinating blood flow to contracting skeletal muscle fibers. Given their potential for interaction, the importance of CO2 and H+ may lie in their ability to modify the effects of other vasodilators.