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Journal of Experimental Biology 109,109-119 (1984)
Published by Company of Biologists 1984

Hypoxic Acclimation in the Lamprey, Lampetra Fluviatilis: Organismic and Erythrocytic Responses

MIKKO NIKINMAA 1 and ROY E. WEBER 2

1 Institute of Biology, Odense University Campusvej, 55, DK-5230 Odense M, Denmark; Permanent address: Division of Physiology, Department of Zoology, University of Helsinki, Arkadiankatu 7, SF-00100 Helsinki 10, Finland
2 Institute of Biology, Odense University Campusvej, 55, DK-5230 Odense M, Denmark

Acute exposure of Lampetra fluviatilis to hypoxia (PO2 = 40-50 mmHg) resulted in a large increase in ventilation frequency and a significant increase in O2 consumption (from 40 to 60 mg kg-1h-1 at 8°C). After 1 week's hypoxia, the O2 consumption decreased (from 60 to 50 mg kg-1 h-1), indicating the existence of slow, acclimatory changes that remove some of the strain from the ventilatory response. The hypoxic animals had a higher blood O2 affinity than the normoxic controls. This acclimatory response is not the result of a decreased allosteric interaction between the haemoglobin and erythrocytic organic phosphates, as in teleost fish, but is attributable partly to dilution of haemoglobin within the red cells and partly to an increase in the intracellular pH. The intraerythrocytic pH of hypoxic animals, measured with a freeze-thaw method, was higher than the plasma pH, suggesting that protons are not passively distributed.

Key words: Lampreys, hypoxia, oxygen-transport

Accepted on October 7, 1983






© The Company of Biologists Ltd 1984