Abstract
Summary
The effect of various substrates on oxygen uptake of rat cerebral cortex slices was studied in a modified Krebs-Ringer phosphate medium containing glucose. A stimulating effect on oxygen uptake by the salts of several of these substrates appeared to be related to their alkalinity. Since an alkaline substance might produce this effect by depressing the ionization of calcium phosphate, several of these substrates were tested in the same buffer except for exclusion of calcium chloride. Of the various substances tested, only acetoacetate and DL-betahydroxybuty-rate consistently produced an elevation in oxygen uptake. The possibility is raised that acetoacetate and betahydroxybutyrate may play an important role in normal brain function.
The author is grateful to Dr. John Fertig, Coll. of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia Univ., for assistance in statistical evaluation of the data.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.