Elimination kinetics of acetylene and Freon 22 in resting and active lungless salamanders

To quantify diffusion limitation in cutaneous gas exchange, the elimination of two inert gases of different diffusivity, Freon 22 (CHC1F2) and acetylene (C2H2), was measured simultaneously in exclusively skin-breathing lungless salamanders, Desmognathus quadramaculatus. In resting salamanders, elimination of both gases could be described as the sum of three exponential terms. For both the medium and the slow exponential component, the ratio of the respective rate constants (k) for acetylene and Freon averaged 1.77. This value is between the values expected for perfusion limitation (1.00) and diffusion limitation (1.94), indicating combined diffusion and perfusion limitation. In salamanders stimulated to run on a treadmill, the elimination rates and the rate constants increased more for Freon than for acetylene. During spontaneous activity, the increase in elimination of Freon was larger than that of acetylene. These findings suggest an increase in the diffusing capacity of the skin during exercise. Thus the diffusing capacity of salamander skin for gases appears to be variable and to be adjusted to meet the increased O2 requirement during exercise.