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Anaerobic energy-metabolism of goldfish,Carassius auratus (L.)

Influence of hypoxia and anoxia on phosphorylated compounds and glycogen

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Summary

Goldfish, acclimated to 20°C and normal\(P_{O_2 } \)= 130 mmHg) and low (\(P_{O_2 } \)= 19 mmHg) oxygen levels, were exposed to different periods of hypoxia and anoxia. Experiments were carried out at night. ATP, ADP, AMP, IMP, CrP, glycogen and lactate were determined in red muscle, white muscle and liver. Acclimation to hypoxia resulted in a marked increase of the energy charge of liver and red muscle and of the glycogen content of red and white muscle, indicating an increased anaerobic capacity. Short exposures to anoxia, up to 1 h, had little influence on the value of the measured parameters. Long-term exposures (12 h) to anoxia caused a significant decrease of CrP and glycogen levels in all tissues examined. The energy-charge of red and white muscle was hardly affected by a 12 h exposure to anoxia, but in liver tissue the energy charge decreased from 0.60 to 0.32. It is concluded that during anoxia muscle tissues are able to maintain high energy-charges, probably by means of a yet unknown anaerobic energy-producing system.

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Abbreviations

CrP :

creatine phosphate

EC :

energy charge

IMP :

inosine monophosphate

I.U. :

International Unit (μmole/min)

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van den Thillart, G., Kesbeke, F. & van Waarde, A. Anaerobic energy-metabolism of goldfish,Carassius auratus (L.). J Comp Physiol B 136, 45–52 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00688621

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