title: Acid-base relationships in the blood of the toad, Bufo marinus. III. The effects of burrowing.
abstract: When Bufo marinus burrows, the skin becomes intimately surrounded by substrate but the nares always remain exposed to the surface air. Upon entering into a state of dormancy the animal hypoventilates and this together with the loss of the skin as a respiratory site results in a rise in arterial blood PCO2 despite a probable decline in metabolism. Even though lung ventilation falls, the toad regulates blood pH and the respiratory acidosis is progressively compensated for by a progressive increase in plasma [HCO3-] along the course of an elevated PCO2 isopleth. At steady state, the acidosis is fully compensated for by a new equilibrium ratio of HCO3- to PCO2 at the same pH as the non-burrowed animal. Arousal from the dormant state at this time results in a marked lung hyperventilation and a sharp decline in body CO2 stores.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada BOP IXO.
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Boutilier
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Randall
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Shelton
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Toews
mesh_terms: D000136:Acid-Base Equilibrium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000388:Air; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D001639:Bicarbonates / Q000097:blood*; D002024:Bufo marinus / Q000097:blood*; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000097:blood* / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D006935:Hypercapnia / Q000097:blood; D007040:Hypoventilation; D008297:Male; D012123:Pulmonary Ventilation / Q000502:physiology; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001639:Bicarbonates; D002245:Carbon Dioxide