Effects of 2,4-dinitrophenol and ouavain on respiration and metabolism of separated cerebral cortex in both presence and absence of electrical stimulation.

Abstract

The fact that separated mammalian cerebral cortical tissues, suitably maintained in vitro, show remarkable respiratory and metabolic responses to adequate electrical stimulation has already been published frequently (1) ; recently it was shown that such respiratory and metabolic responses to adequate electrical stimulation were dependent only on the concentration of external sodium, approximately in Michaelis Menten fashion, but potassium by itself was inert to this metabolism, and calcium was independent of such responses (2). Meanwhile, a number of studies are being made everywhere at present in order to elucidate the exact mechanism of linkage between active cation transport and metabolism. One of the experimental approaches to the mechanism by which the energy from metabolism is supplied to active transport, would be to examine the action of metabolic inhibitors. It seems to be necessary to investigate whether or not the respiratory and metabolic responses stated above have any connection with the active transport; therefore, the effects of ouabain and 2, 4-dinitrophenol on the respiratory and metabolic responses of a rat's cerebral cortical slices to electrical stimulation have been studied in this paper.