The effect of temperature and anoxia of rat-kidney slices on their subsequent respiration

Abstract

Rat-kidney slices were kept, aerobic ally and anaerobically, at 4[degree], 20[degree] and 38[degree], for 0.5-24 hr. The O2 consumption was then measured at 38[degree]. After 6 hr. of storage at 4 the rate of O2 consumption was the same as controls, but after 12 and 24 hr. of storage the O2 consumption fell by 22 and 32% respectively; there was no difference between the slices kept aerobically and anaerobically for periods of 2-24 hr. at 4[degree]. Anaerobic storage at 20[degree] for 2 hr. did not affect the subsequent rate of O2 consumption, but after 4 and 6 hr. the anaerobically stored tissue showed loss of O2 consumption. Aerobic storage had no effect for 6 hr. There was a marked fall in the capacity to consume Oo after 0.5 hr. at 38[degree] without 03. Kidney slices stored at 4[degree] lost N. The presence of O2 did not affect this N loss.