The effects of acetylsalicylate and of 2,4-dinitrophenol on the metabolism and transport processes of rat brain cortex slices incubated at 37° in glucose–Ringer media under various conditions have been investigated. The following processes are suppressed by acetylsalicylate (5 mM) or dinitrophenol (0.05 mM) to a much greater extent in media containing 105 mM KCl or 10 mM NH4Cl (which stimulate brain respiration) than in normal media:(a) respiration;(b) incorporation of phosphate into ATP and ADP;(c) conversion of creatine to phosphocreatine;(d) uptake of glutamate or of creatine from the medium to the tissue.The two drugs increase the leakage of amino acids from rat brain cortex slices into the medium, the effects being greatest in the presence of 105 mM KCl or 5 mM glutamate or in the absence of glucose. They change the yields of labelled amino acids from labelled glucose or labelled glutamate.Labelled glutamate is converted to labelled aspartate, γ-aminobutyrate and glutamine in rat brain cortex slices, the addition of glucose bringing about increased yields of glutamine and γ-aminobutyrate and a decreased yield of aspartate. The formation of labelled glutamine from either labelled glutamate or from labelled glucose is suppressed by acetylsalicylate or dinitrophenol, the effects being greater in the presence of 105 mM KCl or 10 mM NH4Cl.The increased sensitivity of the stimulated tissue metabolism to the drugs, in the presence of high K+, or of NH4+or of glutamate, is probably explained by the fact that there is a fall, under these conditions, in the tissue phosphocreatine level. There is, therefore, less reserve phosphocreatine to maintain the level of ATP when neuronal oxidative phosphorylation is suppressed by the addition of acetylsalicylate or of dinitrophenol.
Effects of ketone body on free amino acids in rat brain cortex slices