Blood glucose partition and levels of glycolytic enzymes in erythrocytes and somatic tissues of penguins.

Abstract

1. A comparative study was carried out on blood glucose partition and glucose metabolism of penguin erythrocytes and somatic tissues. Pygoscelidae penguins (Pygoscelis antarctica and P. papua) were used in these experiments. 2. Blood glucose partition was established by assaying whole blood and plasma glucose in several individuals of the gentoo and chinstrap penguins. 3. It was found that almost all the whole blood sugar is compartmentalized at the plasma site, the red blood cells being ineffective in regard to glucose metabolism. 4. Levels of hexokinase, phosphoglucose isomerase, phosphofructokinase, fructose bisphosphate aldolase, glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase, phosphoglycerate kinase, phosphopyruvate hydratase (enolase), pyruvate kinase, alpha-glycerolphosphate dehydrogenase and fructose bisphosphate phosphatase were estimated in the erythrocytes of both gentoo and chinstrap penguins, the same determinations being carried out also on the somatic tissues (leg muscle, breast muscle, heart muscle, liver and brain) of the gentoo.