The Endogenous Respiratory Quotient of Bovine Dental Pulp

¹ Department of Stomatology, College of Dentistry, State University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa

Respiratory quotients were determined for several samples of dentinogenetically very active, moderately active, and relatively quiescent bovine dental pulp that showed proportionate levels of oxygen consumption. These determinations were repeated at approximately 75-minute intervals for a minimum of 6 periods in the instance of the most quiescent tissue. The respiratory quotients suggest that carbohydrate reserves in the pulp are limited and are rapidly exhausted in the more active tissue. Approximately 8 hours after the least active tissue was deprived of circulation it failed to show evidence of carbohydrate metabolism and, as the more active tissues had shown earlier, was presumed to be supporting respiration by oxidation of its protein and lipid constituents. It is suspected that the dental pulp has a significant glycolytic capacity because of indirect evidence of acid production.