A saline medium for maintaining isolated heart of Pila globosa, Swainson

Abstract

Some known standard salines for molluscs were found unsuitable for maintaining the heart of Pila in vitro. A new saline for Pila has been devised keeping in view the ionic composition, pH and osmotic pressure of blood of Pila. A saline having the composition of blood was not found suitable for maintaining isolated heart of Pila but reduction of percentage of potassium made it so. The osmotic pressure was adjusted with addition of glucose which also provides energy. Changes of pH between 5 and 8·5 did not have an effect on the heart-beat of Pila. It was suggested that a saline containing only the principal ions of blood was not suitable because other trace and organic substances present in the blood were perhaps playing an important role in the regular beating of the heart. Adjustment in the proportion of different ions and addition of glucose did partly compensate for the absence of these substances.