Microscopic Quantification of Oxygen Consumption across Cortical Layers

The cerebral cortex is organized in cortical layers that differ in their cellular density, composition, and wiring. Cortical laminar architecture is also readily revealed by staining for cytochrome oxidase – the last enzyme in the respiratory electron transport chain located in the inner mitochondrial membrane. It has been hypothesized that a high-density band of cytochrome oxidase in cortical layer IV reflects higher oxygen consumption under baseline (unstimulated) conditions. Here, we tested the above hypothesis using direct measurements of the partial pressure of O₂ (pO₂) in cortical tissue by means of 2-photon phosphorescence lifetime microscopy (2PLM). We revisited our previously developed method for extraction of the cerebral metabolic rate of O₂ (CMRO₂) based on 2-photon pO₂ measurements around diving arterioles and applied this method to estimate baseline CMRO₂ in awake mice across cortical layers. To our surprise, our results revealed a decrease in baseline CMRO₂ from layer I to layer IV. This decrease of CMRO₂ with cortical depth was paralleled by an increase in tissue oxygenation. Higher baseline oxygenation and cytochrome density in layer IV may serve as an O₂ reserve during surges of neuronal activity or certain metabolically active brain states rather than baseline energy needs. Our study provides the first quantification of microscopically resolved CMRO₂ across cortical layers as a step towards better understanding of the brain energy metabolism.