The oxygen uptake, glucose utilization and lactic acid production of guinea-pig skin in relation to oxygen tension

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Abstract
O2 uptake, total glucose utilization and lactic acid production of guinea-pig-ear skin were determined at O2 tensions varying from 0 to 1.5 atmospheres. Observations were made over 5 hours and over 24 hours. The O2 uptake was greater at the higher O2 tensions. O2 poisoning occurred when skin was exposed to 1.5 atmospheres pressure of O2 for 24 hours. Exposure to pure O2 for this period caused a greater fall in respiration than exposure to 0.5 or 0.75 atmospheres O2. Thick-ness of skin slices in relation to O2 tension was investigated. It is suggested that the limiting thickness for skin slices in air is 0.2 mm and in O2 0.4 mm. Glucose utilization and lactic acid production are high when measured over 5 hours but low when measured over 24 hours. Comparison of the lactic acid production and the amounts of glucose necessary to account for this and for the uptake of the observed amounts of 02 indicate that a proportion of glucose is unaccounted for. In 24 hour experiments this discrepancy decreases as O2 tension increases.