THE EFFECT OF CHEMICALLY INERT GASES ON OXYGEN CONSUMPTION IN LIVING TISSUES.
Abstract
The effect of N2, He, and A at normal pressures (approx. 560 mm. Hg) on the oxygen consumption of yeast cells, rat liver slices, and rat liver homogenates was studied. By utilizing both polarographic and Warburg technics, comparisons were made between 20% O2 - 80% inert gas mixtures and 100% O2. A consistent but small depression of oxygen consumption of yeast in the presence of inert gases was noted with the dropping mercury electrode. No effect of changing oxygen tension was apparent except below the critical oxygen tension (4 or 5 mm. Hg). With the Warburg technic, oxygen consumption of liver slices in inert gas mixtures was found to decrease as much as 60% compared to pure oxygen controls. Small but apparently insignificant differences in this depressive effect were noted between the inert gases. Manipulation of both shaking rate and temperature indicated that physical diffusion of oxygen was not a limiting factor. The rate of oxygen consumption by rat liver slices was found to be a constant regardless of oxygen tension throughout the range studied. Homogenates of rat liver tissue failed to display this depression in the presence of inert gas, oxygen consumption being identical to that for pure oxygen controls. This would seem to indicate that the site of the depressant action may be in the cell membrane and that the inert gas may possibly act on a membrane mechanism for oxygen transport into the cell. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1966
- Accession Number
- AD0647808
Entities
People
- Domenic A. Maio
- J. Ryan Neville
Organizations
- United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine