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Integrative and Comparative Biology 2002 42(2):208-215; doi:10.1093/icb/42.2.208
© 2002 by The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology
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The Intracardiac Shunt as a Source of Myocardial Oxygen in a Turtle, Trachemys scripta1

C. G. Farmer2,1 and J. W. Hicks1
1 University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697

The functional significance of many features of the reptilian cardiopulmonary system remains unknown; particularly the importance of cardiac shunts. One hypothesis for a physiological function for shunts is that they play a role in myocardial oxygenation and are therefore important when cardiac work is elevated. In this study we examined cardiac function by monitoring electrocardiograms in red-eared slider turtles (Trachemys scripta) with a reduced myocardial oxygen supply. Exposing the animals to a hypoxic gas mixture reduced oxygen levels in the pulmonary venous return. When cardiac work was elevated during hypoxia, the electrocardiogram changed in a manner consistent with myocardial hypoxia, suggesting enrichment of the luminal blood with oxygen by the intracardiac shunt facilitates cardiac performance.


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