title: The interaction between O2 and CO2 movements during aerobic exercise in fish.
abstract: In resting rainbow trout, 99% of the total CO2 excreted across the gills consisted of bicarbonate (HCO3-) dehydrated to CO2 in the red cell. This value decreased to 93% during exercise, the remainder being excreted as molecular CO2 which existed in the pre-branchial blood. HCO3- dehydration consumes a proton which can be supplied from hemoglobin (Hb) through its buffer capacity or the Haldane effect. Bohr proton release from Hb upon oxygenation is maximal between 50 and 100% of Hb saturation, consistent with observations made in tench blood. At low swimming speeds, when venous blood O2 content (CvO2) was high, there was a small but insignificant acidosis as blood passed through the gills, indicating a greater release of protons than could be consumed by HCO3-. At higher swimming speeds, when CvO2 was low, there was a significant alkalosis in the arterial blood relative to the venous blood, indicating that fewer protons were released upon oxygenation than HCO3- ions were dehydrated to CO2. The disproportionate release of Bohr protons over the range of Hb-O2 saturation in the blood at the gills limits HCO3- dehydration during greater work loads, conserving the HCO3- buffer capacity of the blood and tissues.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Brauner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D005880:Gills / Q000502:physiology*; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D017686:Oncorhynchus mykiss / Q000502:physiology*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology*; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D010100:Oxygen