Adenine nucleotide degradation in the thoroughbred horse with increasing exercise duration

Adenine nucleotide (AN) degradation has been shown to occur during intense exercise in the horse and in man, at or close to the point of fatigue. The aim of the study was to compare the concentrations of muscle inosine 5'-monophosphate (IMP) and plasma ammonia (NH3) during intense exercise with the concentrations of muscle and blood lactate. Seven trained thoroughbred horses were used in the study. Each exercised on a treadmill for periods of between 30 s and 150 s, at 11 and/or 12 m.s-1. Blood and muscle samples were taken and analysed for lactate and NH3 and adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP), phosphorylcreatine (PCr), IMP, creatine, lactate and glycerol-3-phosphate respectively. Horses showed varying degrees of AN degradation as indicated by plasma NH3] and muscle ATP] and IMP]. Comparisons of IMP] with muscle lactate], and plasma NH3] with that of blood lactate] indicated a threshold to the start of AN degradation. This threshold corresponded to a lactate content of around 80 mmol.kg-1 dry muscle and 15 mmol.l-1 in blood. We discuss the mechanisms which have been proposed to account for AN degradation and suggest that IMP formation occurs as a result of a sudden rise in the concentration of adenosine 5'-diphosphate (ADP) and consequently the concentration of adenosine 5'-monophosphate. The data suggest a critical pH below which there may be a substantial reduction in the kinetics of ADP rephosphorylation provided by PCr resulting in an increase in ADP], which is the stimulus to AN degradation during intense exercise.