Determination of myoglobin saturation of frozen specimens using a reflecting cryospectrophotometer. Voter, William A., and Thomas E. J. Gayeski. University of Rochester Medical Center, Department of Anesthesiology, Rochester N.Y. 14642,
APStracts 2:0162H, 1995.
This report describes a method and instrumentation for determining myoglobin (Mb) oxygen saturation in skeletal muscle. Canine gracilis is frozen in situ using a liquid N2-cooled copper block. Transverse section surfaces of frozen, unstained muscle are observed at _110_C using a microspectrophotometric system. The Mb saturation is determined using epi-illumination and a four-wavelength optical method. A special aperture permits illumination of a 20 [mu]m square area and the radius of the catchment volume is estimated to be about 60 [mu]m with the strongest signal arising from the central region. The equibestic wavelengths used were 546.6, 570.5 and 584.1 nm. The method was validated using the nonlinear multicomponent analysis method of L[umlaut]ubbers. Endpoint (0% and 100% saturation) calibration was set using ischemic and adenosine treated, highly -oxygenated muscles, respectively. The effects of Hb and metMb signal contamination were evaluated experimentally and by computer mixing simulations. Mb saturation determinations adjacent to large vessels are to be avoided. MetMb and capillary Hb do not interfere with the determination. The reproducibility of the method is estimated to be +/-5%.

Received 8 August 1994; accepted in final form 7 March 1995.
APS Manuscript Number H702-4.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Heart Circ. Physiology).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1995 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on  2 May 1995.