Interaction of O2 diffusion and O2 metabolism in cat urinary bladder tissue

We measured oxygen exchange across the inside surface of excised urinary bladders that were inflated with gas mixtures. By using a range of Po2 differences between the two sides of the tissue and relatively simple mathematical models, we could infer the exchanges across the outside surface and the total O2 economy of the tissue so that we could evaluate the interaction between diffusion and metabolic O2 consumption. The estimate of the Krogh diffusion constant or permeation coefficient with this preparation avoids errors due to O2 consumption and unstirred layers. At 37 degrees C, the value of bladder tissue O2 consumption was 4.4 times 10(-3) min-1 and the value of the Krogh constant for O2 was 2.22 times 10(-5)cm2min-1atm-1.