[bio.dros] Flies and CO2

[Eric Nilsson]

Since one can use less CO2 than N2 to achieve the same state of non-moving
flies, I would suspect that CO2 anesthesia does more than just displace
oxygen.  My best guess would be that a ventilation/perfusion mismatch is
induced, causing a respiratory acidosis, which probably causes
unconsciousness (at least, the flies do not move any more).  This does an
awful lot of extrapolating from vertebrate models, however.

Eric Nilsson


>Please help to settle an argument in our lab.  What is the mechanism by
>which CO2 anaesthatizes Drosophila?
>
>Many thanks
>
>Martin Cann
>mjcann at med.cornell.edu
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  Eric Nilsson, DVM PhD
  ERATO, Mitsubishi-Kasei Institute of Life Sciences,
  194 Machida-shi, MinamiOoya 11, Tokyo, Japan
  Tel:  0427-21-2334  (from Abroad: 81-427-21-2334)
  Fax:  0427-21-2850 (from Abroad: 81-427-21-2850)
  email : nilsson at fly.erato.jst-c.go.jp
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