PO2 and pH changes in the retina of the crab Ocypode ryderi: evidence for aerobic glycolysis

Summary The isolated retina of the terrestrial crab Ocypode ryderi exhibits a pronounced lactate production in spite of being supplied with sufficient O₂ (140 torr). To determine whether this lactate production is caused by hypoxic areas in the tissue or represents aerobic glycolysis, oxygen partial pressure and pH measurements with two-channel glass microelectrodes and additional biochemical analyses were carried out on this organ. Distinct profiles were obtained for O₂ partial pressure and pH inside the tissue. At a depth of 200 m different O₂ partial pressure levels could be observed depending on the O₂ partial pressure in the medium (85 torr at 280 torr and 36 torr at 130 torr, respectively). The extracellular pH displays a similar pattern; it reaches a stable value of 7.15 at 100 m inside the tissue. Lowering bath O₂ partial pressure from 280 torr to about 15 torr (hypoxia) induces a decrease of the O₂ partial pressure in the tissue with different time-courses for different tissue depths. However, hypoxia did not change the extracellular pH. Addition of antimycin A (100 mol · 1^-1) to the medium abolishes the O₂ partial pressure gradient and the delayed recovery of the tissue O₂ partial pressure after hypoxia. These results and the biochemical data suggest that in the crab retina a high glycolytic activity occurs simultaneously with oxydative carbohydrate degradation (aerobic glycolysis).Abbreviations AEC Atkinson energy charge - DC bioelectric potential - dw dry weight - HEPES N-[2-Hydroxyethyl]piperazine-N-[2-ethanesulphonic acid] - PCO₂ carbon dioxide partial pressure - PO₂ oxygen partial pressure - P_tO₂ oxygen partial pressure inside the tissue - P_mO₂ oxygen partial pressure in the medium - pH_t pH inside the tissue - pH_m pH in the superfusion medium