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Maintenance of Enzyme Activity Levels during Long-Term Aerobic Diving in the Red-Eared Turtle Trachemys scripta elegans

Energy metabolism in red-eared turtles (Trachemys [=Pseudemys] scripta elegans) was monitored in air-breathing animals at 11°-14° C, in animals forced to dive over a 16-wk period in normoxic water at 3° C, and in animals recovering for up to 8 wk from forced dives. Diving had no effect on blood glucose levels; hematocrit and blood lactate were marginally higher during diving Heart and brain glycogen levels did not decrease during diving These findings suggest that anaerobic metabolism was not activated and that survival was more likely dependent on metabolic depression and/or a low level of aquatic respiration. The absence of an activation of anaerobic metabolism in this species is in contrast to the usual response in diving turtles. Heart and brain total RNA levels remained constant during the diving period, but there was an increase in total RNA during recovery, which suggests a burst in protein synthesis at this time. Activity levels of hexokinase, pyruvate kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, citrate synthase, 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase, and cytochrome oxidase were measured. In heart, pyruvate kinase levels showed a tendency to decline during the diving period; pyruvate kinase and cytochrome oxidase increased during recovery. In brain, cytochrome oxidase declined during diving; pyruvate kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, citrate synthase, and cytochrome oxidase increased during recovery. The increase in activity of various enzymes during recovery was consistent with the elevation in RNA content and may be associated with increased cardiovascular activity, neural activity, and nutrient supply of amino acids.