Lactic acid in dogfish nerve

✍ Scribed by Root, Walter S.

• Publisher: Wiley (John Wiley & Sons)
• Year: 1936
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 473 KB
• Volume: 9
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0095-9898
• DOI: 10.1002/jcp.1030090112

✦ Synopsis

Gerard and Meyerhof ('27) reported that the lactic acid which accumulated in peripheral nerve in the absence of oxygen did not disappear when oxygen was admitted. This finding was confirmed by Holmes and Gerard ('29) and Holmes, Gerard and Solomon ( '30). More recently Schmitt and Cori ('33) have observed that when lactic acid has accumulated in frog's nerve as a result of asphyxia, it is partially removed on the readmission of oxygen a t a rate of 6 mg. per 100 gm. of nerve per hour.

Attacking the problem in a somewhat different manner Feng ('32) found that lactate serves to protect nerves from the effect of iodoacetate in air and in oxygen, but not in nitrogen. Chang and Gerard ('33) have confirmed and extended Feng's work. While these studies strongly suggest that an iodoacetate poisoned nerve is able to oxidize lactic acid, it is not a necessary consequence that a normal nerve does so (Chang and Gerard, '32; Gerard, '34).

The present investigation was undertaken to extend the work upon frog nerve to a different form, For this purpose the dogfish lateral line nerve is a favorable material since a single nerve may weigh from 150 to 800 mg. fresh weight (Fenn, '27; Root, '32).