QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s):
Home     Help     Feedback     Subscriptions     Archive     Search     Table of Contents

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Ultsch, G. Articles by Jackson, D. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Ultsch, G. Articles by Jackson, D.

Journal of Experimental Biology, Vol 97, Issue 1 87-99, Copyright © 1982 by Company of Biologists

JOURNAL ARTICLES

Long-term submergence at 3 degrees C of the turtle Chrysemys picta bellii in normoxic and severely hypoxic water. III. Effects of changes in ambient PO2 and subsequent air breathing

GR Ultsch and DC Jackson

Western Painted Turtles, Chrysemys picta bellii (N = 5), were maintained submerged and apneic for 90 days: days 0-21 in severely hypoxic water (PO2 = 0-5 mmHg), days 22-43 in aerated water (PO2 approximately 160 mmHg), and days 44-90 again in hypoxic water. From day 90 onward, the water was aerated and the turtles were allowed access to the air; water and air temperatures were maintained at 3 degrees C. Arterial blood samples were taken periodically and analysed for PO2, PCO2, pH, [Na+], [K+] [Cl-], [lactate-], [glucose] and haematocrit. Plasma [HCO3-] was calculated for all samples and total plasma calcium was measured on samples from two animals. Each exposure to low PO2 water caused progressive lactic acidosis and a transient respiratory acidosis with an accompanying fall in plasma [Cl-] and rise in plasma [K+] and [calcium]. During the intervening period in aerated water, blood pH recovered significantly (from 7.33 to 7.74 in 7 days), due primarily to a fall in PCO2 (from 23.5 to 10.6 mmHg), while [lactate-] remained unchanged (at about 50 mM), and [HCO-3] rose slightly. Plasma [K+] promptly returned to nearly normal values. When permitted to breathe on day 90, the three surviving turtles rapidly restored pH to normal by pronounced hyperventilation (PCO2 less than 5 mmHg). Metabolic acidosis, however, disappeared slowly with a t1/2 for [lactate-] and [HCO-3] restoration of about 2 weeks. We conclude that a wintering turtle can stabilize or even slightly improve its acid-base and ionic status by moving from an anoxic environment to well-oxygenated water. Further improvements can be gained by breathing air, but recovery proceeds at a very slow rate if the animal remains at 3 degrees C.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. E. Pamenter, D. S.-H. Shin, M. Cooray, and L. T. Buck Mitochondrial ATP-sensitive K+ channels regulate NMDAR activity in the cortex of the anoxic western painted turtle J. Physiol., February 15, 2008; 586(4): 1043 - 1058. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Huang and G. G. Haddad Drosophila dMRP4 regulates responsiveness to O2 deprivation and development under hypoxia Physiol Genomics, May 11, 2007; 29(3): 260 - 266. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. K. Friedman CALCIUM: A Role for Neuroprotection and Sustained Adaptation Mol. Interv., December 1, 2006; 6(6): 315 - 329. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. L. J. Galli, E. W. Taylor, and H. A. Shiels Calcium flux in turtle ventricular myocytes Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, December 1, 2006; 291(6): R1781 - R1789. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				V. Ramaglia and L. T. Buck Time-dependent expression of heat shock proteins 70 and 90 in tissues of the anoxic western painted turtle J. Exp. Biol., October 1, 2004; 207(21): 3775 - 3784. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]