Apparent oxygen utilisation

Abstract: Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the mitochondrial respiratory control and the polarographic measurement of ADP : O ratios. The polarographic oxygen electrode technique is used for measuring rapid changes in the rate of oxygen utilization by cellular and subcellular systems. Although the polarographic method measures changes in oxygen concentration of photosynthetic systems, yeast cells, and nerve, but the oxygen electrode technique is applied to a study the mitochondrial respiration and oxidative phosphorytation. The principle of the oxygen electrode has been summarized, and the design of the vibrating oxygen electrode for use with speetrophotometric studies is illustrated. The oxygen electrode apparatus can be calibrated in a number of ways. A more accurate calibration of oxygen content can be obtained by gas equilibration with various nitrogen-oxygen mixtures. When tightly coupled mitochondria are suspended in an isotonic buffer, a slow rate of oxygen uptake is measured in the presence of substrate and absence of ADP. Addition of ADP causes an immediate increase in the rate of oxygen utilization. The concentration of oxygen utilized is proportional to the amount of ADP phosphorylated to ATP. The type of oxygen electrode tracings is presented from which an ADP : O ratio (equivalent to a P : O ratio) can be directly calculated.

Abstract: Regional cerebral blood flow (CBF), oxygen extraction ratio (OER), oxygen utilization (CMRO2) and blood volume (CBV) were measured in a group of 34 healthy volunteers (age range 22–82 yrs) using the 15O steady-state inhalation method and positron emission tomography. Between subjects CBF correlated positively with CMRO2, although the interindividual variability of the measured values was large. OER was not dependent on CMRO2, but highly negatively correlated with CBF. CBV correlated positively with CBF. When considering the values of all the regions of interest within a single subject, a strict coupling between CMRO2 and CBF, and between CBF and CBV was found, while OER was constant and independent of CBF and CMRO2. In ‘pure’ grey and white matter regions CMRO2, CBF and CBV decreased with age approximately 0.50% per year. In other regions the decline was less evident, most likely due to partial volume effects. OER did not change or showed a slight increase with age (maximum in the grey matter region 0.35%/yr). The results suggest diminished neuronal firing or decreased dendritic synaptic density with age.