Ventilatory and metabolic responses of a bat, Phyllostomus discolor, to hypoxia and CO2: implications for the allometry of respiratory control.
The ventilatory and metabolic responses of lesser spear-nosed bats to hypoxia and hypercapnia were measured to determine whether these corresponded to preliminary allometries and a positive relationship between hypoxic ventilatory threshold and P50. Ventilatory responses of lesser spear-nosed bats to 3, 5 and 7% CO2 differed significantly from ventilation on air and each other. The magnitude of their ventilatory response to CO2 is consistent with the prediction of a smaller ventilatory response to hypercapnia in small compared to large mammals [% delta V varies MB0.130; Williams et al. (1994)]. Among 12, 10 and 8% O2 treatments only the ventilatory response to 8% O2 differed significantly from ventilation on air or the other treatments. Metabolic rate was significantly reduced at both 10 and 8% O2. The hypoxic ventilatory response of these bats does not support the prediction of a greater response in small compared to large mammals [% delta V veries MB0.273; Boggs and Tenney (1984)]. Their metabolic response is consistent with the hypoxic hypometabolism typical of small mammals, though not of comparable magnitude. The response, expressed as percent change in convection requirement (V/VO2), is also less than that observed in other small mammals. This relative insensitivity to hypoxia may be associated with this bat's unusually high affinity hemoglobin (P50 = 27.5 torr).
Walsh
J P
JP
Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula 59812, USA. dona@selway.umt.edu
Boggs
D F
DF
Kilgore
D L
DL
D000693:Anaerobiosis; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000502:physiology; D002685:Chiroptera / Q000502:physiology*; D005105:Expiratory Reserve Volume / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D006935:Hypercapnia; D007320:Inspiratory Capacity / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology*; D013990:Tidal Volume / Q000502:physiology
D006454:Hemoglobins