An Analysis of Acid-Base Disturbances in the Haemolymph Following Strenuous Activity in the Dungeness Crab, Cancer Magister

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Abstract
Enforced activity causes a marked depression of haemofymph pH in Cancer magister. Both lactate concentration and PCOCO2 of the haemolymph are elevated immediately following exercise but resting PCOCO2 is restored within 30 min whereas resting lactate levels are not restored for at least 8 h. The haemolymph acid-base disturbance is caused largely by elevated haemolymph lactate levels but a Davenport analysis based on measurements of pH and total CO2 reveals a marked discrepancy between the amount of metabolic acid buffered by the haemolymph and the lactate anion concentration. This appears due to a more rapid release of lactate from the tissues than H+ ions produced with lactate.