THE PRODUCTION OF CARBON DIOXIDE BY NERVE

1. A modified Osterhout respiratory apparatus for the detection of CO₂ from nerve is described. 2. The lateral-line nerve from the dogfish discharges CO₂ at first with a gush for half an hour or so and then steadily at a lower rate for several hours. 3. Simple handling of the nerve does not increase the output of CO₂; cutting it revives gush. 4. The CO₂ produced by nerve is not escaping simply from a reservoir but is a true nervous metabolite. 5. The rate of discharge of CO₂ from a quiescent nerve varied from 0.0071 to 0.0128 mg. per gram of nerve per minute and averaged 0.0095 mg. 6. Stimulated nerve showed an increased rate of CO₂ production of 15.8 percent over that of quiescent nerve. 7. The results of these studies indicate that chemical change is a factor in nerve transmission.     

THE EXCRETION OF CARBON DIOXIDE BY FROG NERVE

1. Quiescent sciatic nerve of the frog discharges CO₂ at the average rate of 0.00876 mg. CO₂ per gram of nerve per minute. 2. Sciatic nerve steeped one minute in boiling water discharges CO₂ at first at a low rate and after an hour and a half not at all. 3. Degenerated sciatic nerve discharges CO₂ at a slightly higher rate than normal living nerve does. 4. Connective tissue from the frog discharges CO₂ at an average rate of 0.0097 mg. per gram of tissue per minute. 5. Assuming that a nerve is composed of from one-half to one-quarter connective tissue the CO₂ output from its strictly nervous components is estimated to be at a rate of 0.008 mg. CO₂ per gram of nerve per minute. 6. Stimulated sciatic nerve increases the rate of its CO₂ output over quiescent nerve by about 14 per cent. When this number is corrected for strictly nervous tissue the rate is about 16 per cent. 7. The increased rate of CO₂ production noted on stimulation in normal sciatic nerves was not observed when they were boiled, blocked, or degenerated. It was also not observed with stimulated strands of connective tissue.     

THE EXCRETION OF CARBON DIOXIDE BY RELAXED AND CONTRACTED SEA ANEMONES

1. The metabolism of the sea anemone Metridium marginatum Edw. was measured in four states, relaxed, relaxing, contracted, and contracting, by means of an Osterhout respiratory apparatus. The basis of measurement was the number of hundred-thousandths of a milligram of carbon dioxide excreted per second by a gram of living sea anemone. 2. In the relaxed state this varied from 6.1 to 4.4+ and averaged 5.43–. 3. In a comparison of the relaxed and contracted states the amount of carbon dioxide excreted was found to beabout the same; in one instance in relaxation 4.2 and in contraction 4.1+; in another in relaxation 7.8+ and 7.9– and in contraction 8.1–. 4. In a comparison of the three states relaxed, relaxing, and contracting, the first two were found to average about the same, 4.8+ and 4.6– respectively and the last proved to be appreciably higher 7.1–. 5. It is, therefore, concluded that the process of relaxing and the states of relaxation and of contraction are accompanied by no unusual metabolism, but that in the operation of contracting the metabolism becomes about half again as intense as that characteristic of the other states. 6. The maintenance of the contracted state in Metridium for days at a time without an increase of metabolism indicates that its musculature is of the type known as tonus muscle. 7. In tonus muscle, contraction is accomplished by an active shortening of the myofibrils, extension by a passive drawing out of these fibrils through the distension of the adjacent cavities, etc., and the continued maintenance of any particular state of shortening by some form of catch mechanism in the muscle, such, possibly, as the gelation of its sarcoplasm.     

THE CARBON DIOXIDE EXCRETED IN ONE MINUTE BY ONE CENTIMETER OF NERVE-FIBER

One centimeter of nerve-fiber from the lateral-line nerve of the dogfish is estimated to excrete on the average 4.2 x 10^–8 mg. CO₂ per minute.     

THE DIFFUSION OF CARBON DIOXIDE IN TISSUES

1. Two methods are given for measuring the rate of diffusion of CO₂ in tissue membranes. Methods are also given for the determination of tissue thickness and the absorption coefficient for CO₂ in tissues. 2. The values obtained for the permeability constant (P x 10⁴) at 22°C. for CO₂ in the following tissues are:—frog skin, 3.05; connective tissue (dog), 2.65; smooth muscle (cat), 5.00; frog muscle, 5.29; striated muscle (dog), 4.70. P is expressed as cc. per cm.² per minute under a pressure gradient of one atmosphere per cm. 3. Evidence is presented to show that in a "steady state" bicarbonate contributes a negligible amount to the diffusion of CO₂. 4. The absorption coefficient for CO₂ in frog skin is 0.73 cc. per cc. and for frog muscle 0.78 cc. per cc. 5. In all of the tissues studied the diffusion of CO₂ is slower than in water. The diffusion coefficients (K x 10⁴ in cm.²/minute) at 22°C. for tissues as compared with water are:—water (16°C.), 9.5 (Hüfner, 1897); frog skin, 4.1; connective tissue, 3.7; frog muscle, 6.8; striated muscle (dog), 6.0; smooth muscle (cat), 6.4. 6. The time course of saturation of a tissue with CO₂ is altered in the presence of available base. Non-acidified tissues saturate more slowly than acidified tissues and the rate of saturation is dependent on the CO₂ tension.     

高碳酸抑制兔离体基底动脉缺氧性收缩

在离休兔基底动脉观察了ＣＯ＿２浓度、ｐＨ值对血管缺氧反应的影响。在以５－羟色胺（５－ＨＴ,１０￣（－６）ｍｏｌ／Ｌ）预收缩后,缺氧使血管张力升高（Ｔ＿Ｈ）１１４．８７±４０．７５ｍｇ,其占总张力变化的百分数Ｔ（％）为４８．６２±１２．１１（ｎ＝５１）。去内皮对缺氧性收缩无影响。随浴槽液中ＣＯ＿２浓度增加,缺氧性收缩幅度减弱,在Ｐｃｏ＿２为８．００、９．３３和１０．６７ｋＰ８时,Ｔ（％）仅分别为３８．３０±５．３６（ｎ＝１１）、３２．２５±７．７６（ｎ＝１３）和２９．９０±９．２６（ｎ＝１１）,较对照值（Ｐｃｏ＿２＝５．３３ｋＰａ时）均有显著差异（Ｐ＜０．０１）。ｐＨ７．２－７．７时血管缺氧反应无显著变化。一氧化氮合成酶抑制剂Ｌ－ＮＮＡ（１０￣（－６）ｍｏｌ／Ｌ可抑制血管的缺氧收缩反应,也抑制了不同ＣＯ＿２浓度对缺氧反应的影响。结果提示ＣＯ＿２可能经促血管分泌一氧化氮的功能而抑制了缺氧性收缩。