METABOLISM OF RABBIT BONE MARROW IN VITRO IN RINGER-BICARBONATE MEDIUM CONTAINING NO ADDED GLUCOSE

Abstract

Many cells continue to respire in vitro in the absence of exogenous glucose (1). On the other hand, in the presence of added glucose, some tissues show high respiratory rates without carbohydrate utilization (2, 3). In both cases the question of what materials the tissues utilize has not been adequately answered. It was hoped that a quantitative study of the in vitro metabolism of bone marrow in a medium containing no glucose might answer the following questions. Is the rate of oxygen consumption dependent on the presence or absence of glucose? In the absence of aerobic glycolysis, is lactic acid involved in the metabolism of bone marrow cells? How much is the respiratory quotient altered when bone marrow cells are denied glucose?