Lactate Production in a Pure Red Muscle in Absence of Anoxia: Mechanisms and Significance

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Abstract
Lactate accumulation in tissue and release into the blood have long been used as indicators of tissue anoxia. The rationale for this approach is based on three assumtions: (1) Lactate accumulation and release results from stimulation of glycolysis. (2) Glycolysis is stimulated by a falling adenylate energy store. (3) The fall in adenylate energy results from oxygen-limited mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. A11 three assumptions may be true in certain circumstances. However, there may be other limits to ATP production in the mitochondria. Other kinds of signals may stimulate glycolysis, and the accumulation of lactate in the tissue may result from changes in processes other than lactate production. Finally, mitochondrial ATP production may be limited by factors other than oxygen supply. Therefore, while anoxia might cause lactate accumulation and release, lactate accumulation may not necessarily mean tissue anoxia.