Studies on the Oxygen Consumption and Glycolysis in Bone Marrow Tissue Part 1. Comparative Studies on the Various Estimating Methods of Oxygen Consumption and Glycolysis in the Rabbit Bone Marrow

By placing a piece of rabbit bone marrow between two Graefe's messes and slowly drawing the messes outward, the author successfully obtained slices of the proximal limit thickness; and by the aid of Warburg's apparatus the oxygen consumption and glycolysis in the bone marrow tissue were estimated. At the same time by mincing the bone marrow tissue of the same rabbit, the method generally used by most other investigators, the estimations were made as the comparison. In addition, observations were carried out on the effect of time elements dividing them into the five following groups according the length of elapsed time from the onset; Group A : Those measured immediately after killing. Group B : Slices made immediately after killing but kept at 37℃ for 2 hours. Group C : Slices made immediately after killing but kept at 37℃ for 4 hours. Group D : Bone marrow in the cylindrical form preserved for 2 hours at 37℃. Group E : Bone marrow in the cylindrical form preserved for 4 hours at 37℃. 1. The slice method of my own device yielded Q(o2) 4.90 ± 0.35 (the average of 28 samples), Q(O2M) 3.62 ± 0.27 (average of 18 samples), Q(N2M) 7.63 ± 0.37 (average of 18 samples). 2. On the basis of the maximum Q(o2) by the slice method the proximal limit thickness of slices of normal rabbit bone marrow is 0.67 mm. 3. By mincing method the injury to the cells of the bone marrow is greater. 4. The amount of oxygen consumption decreases in proportion to the lapse of time after killing, especially the oxygen deficiency induces an irreversible disturbance of the cell function, and thus it appears that a rapid decrease in Q(o2) due to this disturbance. 5. It is presumed that glycolysis, especially anaerobic glycolysis, tends to be affected relatively less by the lapse of time after killing, but that the discharge of glycolytic enzymes into the suspension and the decrease in the enzyme activity are unavoidable. Summing up the above data for measuring of the respiration and glycolysis of the rabbit bone marrow, this slice method is the most suitable one; and the determination should be carried out as soon as practicable at the fixed intervals after killing.