Metabolic effects of azide on electrically stimulated cerebral cortex

Abstract

Effects of sodium azide on the O2 uptake, lactate production, content of energy-rich phosphate and inorganic phosphate of electrically stimulated slices of guinea-pig cerebral cortex were studied. Azide depressed the stimulated O2 uptake of tissue which was metabolizing glucose or pyruvate. Lactate production of cerebral slices was increased by azide whether or not the tissue received electrical pulses. The energy-rich phosphate content of tissue in glucose-saline was lowered by azide in both unstimulated and stimulated slices. In unstimulated and stimulated slices, the inorganic phosphate contents were not so marked as those with glucose. Respiration rate of cerebral cortex slices metabolizing glutamate was increased by 17% by the application of electrical pulses.