Regulation of VO2 in red muscle: do current biochemical hypotheses fit in vivo data?

Observations used to test biochemical models of the regulation of O2 consumption (VO2) by cytosolic phosphate energy state must include a change in intracellular pH and/or a change in the adenine nucleotide or phosphate pools [Connett, R. J. Analysis of metabolic control: new insights using a scaled creatine kinase model. Am. J. Physiol. 254 (Regulatory Integrative Comp. Physiol. 23): R949-R959, 1988]. Data were collected over a wide range of energy turnover from canine muscles in situ. Intracellular PO2, glycolytic intermediates, adenine nucleotides, creatine, phosphocreatine (PCr), phosphate, and intracellular pH were determined for each muscle. PO2 was used to eliminate muscles in which VO2 could have been O2 limited (PO2 less than 0.5 Torr). This removed an important source of heterogeneity. Because adenine nucleotide and phosphate pools were constant relative to the creatine pool, discrimination among models depended solely on pH. The observed pH range from 7.2 to 5.9 did not permit separation of [PCr] from log[( ATP4-]/[ADP3-][H2PO4-]) (phosphorylation potential) as a regulatory parameter for VO2. However, [ADP] could be eliminated as an independent regulator. Because 90% of variability in VO2 was accounted for by phosphate energetics, an independent redox component must be small when intracellular PO2 greater than 0.5 Torr.