Simultaneous Measurement of Glucose and O₂ Consumption in Cell Suspensions with Minielectrodes

Abstract

Separation procedures which yield cell suspensions with homogeneous cell populations greatly facilitate the study of cell metabolism, but yield a limited amount of material. Multiple recording of metabolic parameters from minimum volumes is therefore useful. We have developed a method for the simultaneous recording of glucose and O₂ concentrations with Polarographic electrodes in 0.26 ml suspensions of rabbit epididymal spermatozoa (RES). These cells are found “pre-separated” as a homogeneous population in the cauda epididymidis. They consume glucose and O₂ and produce lactate (Murdoch and White, 1967) and so provide a useful system to test the method as well as a system in which to study the effect of perturbations on aerobic glycolysis.