Adenosine triphosphate content in the cat carotid body under different arterial O2 and CO2 conditions

The adenosine triphosphate (ATP) level in the carotid body has often been discussed as the crucial step in the chemoreceptive process. Therefore, the ATP level of the cat carotid body was investigated with the aid of the bioluminescence method under different stimulation conditions. Under normoxic conditions an ATP level of about 0.087 nmol/glomus was measured, which is very low in comparison to other organs. The level did not change significantly, neither under hypoxic nor hypercapnic conditions. From these results we conclude that the primary effect of the chemoreceptive process in the carotid body cannot be explained by changes of the ATP level under different stimulation conditions.