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Phosphorus nuclear magnetic resonance studies of energy metabolism in molluscan tissues

Effect of anoxia and ischemia on the intracellular pH and high energy phosphates in the ventricle of the whelk,Busycon contrarium

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Summary

Isolated ventricles of the whelkBusycon contrarium were perfused in 15 mm (internal diameter) nuclear magnetic resonance tubes at 22–24°C. Phosphorus nuclear magnetic resonance (31P-NMR) spectra were generated at 60.7071 MHz using a multi nuclei FT spectrometer. Methodologies were developed to utilize31P-NMR spectra to assess intracellular pH (pHi) and the relative levels of high energy phosphates in experimental preparations. Ventricles perfused under normoxic conditions for 6 h showed no changes in the levels of arginine phosphate and ATP. There was a slight decrease in pHi (0.08 unit). Anoxia and anoxia+ischemia resulted in a number of metabolic changes. There was a linear decay in arginine phosphate with half times of decay of 4.9 and 5.6 h, respectively. Inorganic phosphate levels rose 3–5 fold in both experimental groups. In contrast, no statistically significant changes in the adenylates were observed. 6 h of anoxia and anoxia+ischemia produced significant reductions in pHi. During anoxia, the pHi fell from 7.11 to 6.87, and during anoxia+ischemia the pHi fell from 7.14 to 6.79. Rates of accumulation of succinate and alanine under these conditions were quite low. The apparent low rates of glycolysis were probably related to minimal activities of phosphofructokinase due to reduced pHi and the lack of large alterations in the adenylates. The general response of the ventricle of the whelkB. contrarium to reduced oxygen tensions is a reduction in energy demands leading to low rates of anaerobic energy metabolism and resultant alterations in pHi and levels of high energy phosphates.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, 32306, Tallahassee, Florida, USA

    W. Ross Ellington

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  1. W. Ross Ellington
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Additional information

A brief account of the NMR spectroscopy procedure was reported in the form of an abstract in Am Zool 22:957 (1982)

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Ellington, W.R. Phosphorus nuclear magnetic resonance studies of energy metabolism in molluscan tissues. J Comp Physiol B 153, 159–166 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00689619

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00689619

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