Abstract
Oxygen affinity and other hematological parameters in strictly subterranean mole-rats, Cryptomys hottentotus (subspecies pretoriae) were measured immediately upon capture and after 14-21 days in captivity. The pH, hematocrit, hemoglobin (Hb) concentration, blood oxygen content, 2,3 bisphosphoglycerate (2,3 BPG) concentration and oxygen dissociation curves (ODC), as well as tonometric measurements, were determined using whole blood. Additionally ODCs were also determined for stripped hemolysates of individual animals. Compared to other mammals, blood of freshly caught animals had low pH (7.32 ± 0.22), elevated hematocrits (48.4 ± 3.8 %) and significantly lower P50 values for whole blood (21.1 ± 1.6 mm Hg at pH 7.4) than those reported for other similar-sized fossorial and terrestrial mammals. Blood carbon dioxide content (22.4 ± 3.9 mMol L- 1), hemoglobin concentration (1.9 ± 0.15 mMol L- 1), oxygen content (164.8 ± 26 mL L- 1), bicarbonate concentrations (22.5 ± 3.5 mMol L- 1) were within the range of values reported for similar-sized mammals. We conclude that high blood-oxygen affinity, low body temperature and possibly also high hematocrit enable C. h. pretoriae to maintain an adequate oxygen supply to the tissues in a potentially hypoxic burrow atmospheres, but that the blood of this species shows no exceptional CO2 sensitivity or buffering capacity.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 50-56 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology - A Molecular and Integrative Physiology |
| Volume | 147 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - May 2007 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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Keywords
- Acid-base balance
- Hemoglobin
- Hypercapnia
- Mole-rat
- P
- Whole blood
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biochemistry
- Molecular Biology
- Physiology
Cite this
Hemoglobin-oxygen-affinity and acid-base properties of blood from the fossorial mole-rat, Cryptomys hottentotus pretoriae. / van Aardt, W. J.; Bronner, G.; Buffenstein, Rochelle.
In: Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology - A Molecular and Integrative Physiology, Vol. 147, No. 1, 05.2007, p. 50-56.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Hemoglobin-oxygen-affinity and acid-base properties of blood from the fossorial mole-rat, Cryptomys hottentotus pretoriae
AU - van Aardt, W. J.
AU - Bronner, G.
AU - Buffenstein, Rochelle
PY - 2007/5
Y1 - 2007/5
N2 - Oxygen affinity and other hematological parameters in strictly subterranean mole-rats, Cryptomys hottentotus (subspecies pretoriae) were measured immediately upon capture and after 14-21 days in captivity. The pH, hematocrit, hemoglobin (Hb) concentration, blood oxygen content, 2,3 bisphosphoglycerate (2,3 BPG) concentration and oxygen dissociation curves (ODC), as well as tonometric measurements, were determined using whole blood. Additionally ODCs were also determined for stripped hemolysates of individual animals. Compared to other mammals, blood of freshly caught animals had low pH (7.32 ± 0.22), elevated hematocrits (48.4 ± 3.8 %) and significantly lower P50 values for whole blood (21.1 ± 1.6 mm Hg at pH 7.4) than those reported for other similar-sized fossorial and terrestrial mammals. Blood carbon dioxide content (22.4 ± 3.9 mMol L- 1), hemoglobin concentration (1.9 ± 0.15 mMol L- 1), oxygen content (164.8 ± 26 mL L- 1), bicarbonate concentrations (22.5 ± 3.5 mMol L- 1) were within the range of values reported for similar-sized mammals. We conclude that high blood-oxygen affinity, low body temperature and possibly also high hematocrit enable C. h. pretoriae to maintain an adequate oxygen supply to the tissues in a potentially hypoxic burrow atmospheres, but that the blood of this species shows no exceptional CO2 sensitivity or buffering capacity.
AB - Oxygen affinity and other hematological parameters in strictly subterranean mole-rats, Cryptomys hottentotus (subspecies pretoriae) were measured immediately upon capture and after 14-21 days in captivity. The pH, hematocrit, hemoglobin (Hb) concentration, blood oxygen content, 2,3 bisphosphoglycerate (2,3 BPG) concentration and oxygen dissociation curves (ODC), as well as tonometric measurements, were determined using whole blood. Additionally ODCs were also determined for stripped hemolysates of individual animals. Compared to other mammals, blood of freshly caught animals had low pH (7.32 ± 0.22), elevated hematocrits (48.4 ± 3.8 %) and significantly lower P50 values for whole blood (21.1 ± 1.6 mm Hg at pH 7.4) than those reported for other similar-sized fossorial and terrestrial mammals. Blood carbon dioxide content (22.4 ± 3.9 mMol L- 1), hemoglobin concentration (1.9 ± 0.15 mMol L- 1), oxygen content (164.8 ± 26 mL L- 1), bicarbonate concentrations (22.5 ± 3.5 mMol L- 1) were within the range of values reported for similar-sized mammals. We conclude that high blood-oxygen affinity, low body temperature and possibly also high hematocrit enable C. h. pretoriae to maintain an adequate oxygen supply to the tissues in a potentially hypoxic burrow atmospheres, but that the blood of this species shows no exceptional CO2 sensitivity or buffering capacity.
KW - Acid-base balance
KW - Hemoglobin
KW - Hypercapnia
KW - Mole-rat
KW - P
KW - Whole blood
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33947512739&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=33947512739&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.cbpa.2006.11.016
DO - 10.1016/j.cbpa.2006.11.016
M3 - Article
C2 - 17276113
AN - SCOPUS:33947512739
VL - 147
SP - 50
EP - 56
JO - Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology - A Physiology
JF - Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology - A Physiology
SN - 1095-6433
IS - 1
ER -