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Abstract
Metabolic data for normal adult rhesus monkey and human adult retinal vessels are presented for the first time. The Cartesian diver microrespirometer was employed to measure respiration and respiratory quotients. Human retinal arterioles consume oxygen at the rate of 0.5 to 28 µl of oxygen per milligram of dry tissue per hour while the venules consume oxygen in the range of 1 to 27 µl of oxygen per milligram of dry tissue per hour. Normal adult rhesus monkey arterioles have a QO2 of 3 to 20, and the venules a QO2 of 2 to 27. The variation of QO2 is interpreted to refect a change of respiration rate with vessel diameter, with the smaller diameter arterioles and venules consuming oxygen at a higher rate than the larger diameter vessels. Respiratory quotient data suggest a mixed, substrate utilization.