
Fig. 7. Detailed representation of the data of Fig. 6AD. The appendage beating rate (fA) profiles (dotted lines) of haemoglobin (Hb)-poor and Hb-rich animals appeared to be aligned parallel to each other until the reduction in ambient oxygen partial pressure (PO2amb) from 3.3 to 2.6 kPa (mean 2.95 kPa) induced significantly diverging changes in fA (Hb-poor,
fA=+10.23±12.70 min-1; Hb-rich,
fA= -6.19±5.06 min-1; unpaired two-tailed t-test: t=2.94, d.f.=10, P=0.01; means ± S.D., N=6). Similar diverging changes were initiated in NADH fluorescence intensity INADH (solid lines) when the PO2amb was reduced from 5.3 to 4.2 kPa (mean 4.75 kPa) (Hb-poor
INADH=+1.30±0.80 min-1 versus Hb-rich
INADH=+0.42±0.44 min-1; unpaired two-tailed t-test: t=2.36, d.f.=10, P=0.04; means ± S.D., N=6). This divergence in INADH extended over the PO2amb range from 4.75 to 1.32 kPa (shaded area), where INADH of Hb-rich animals appeared to stabilize at 103 %, whereas that of Hb-poor animals rose from 104 to 123 %. Note that, in Hb-poor animals, the increase in fA at 2 kPa coincided with the increase in INADH. Arrows indicate significantly diverging responses in the respective variables. The standard deviations of the curves have been omitted for clarity.