Formation of Lactic Acid in Excised Organs.

Abstract

These experiments were undertaken to determine whether excised tissues would form lactic acid under anaerobic conditions. Paired organs of dogs were studied. One of each pair was rapidly triturated in chilled alcohol to prevent post-mortem glycolysis. The other was triturated in Ringer's or buffered phosphate solution (pH 8) and then incubated at 37.5° C. for 3 to 10 hours to allow for any possible formation of lactic acid. The lactic acid, after extraction and purification by Meyerhof's procedure, 1 was determined by the oxidation method, as modified by Friedemann, Cotonio and Shaffer. 2

In every organ studied (kidney, testis, parotid, submaxillary, thyroid, cerebrum) a definite increase of lactic acid was obtained after incubation, an amount ranging from 1 2/3 to 30 times that originally present.

Investigation is now under way to determine the origin of lactic acid so produced.