The effect of metabolic inhibitors on respiration and glycolysis in electrically stimulated cerebral-cortex slices

Abstract

The effects of iodoacetate, NaF and Na malonate on the O2 uptake and lactic acid production of electrically stimulated slices of guinea pig cerebral cortex were studied. Iodoacetate depressed stimulated accumulation of lactic acid at concns. which had little effect upon stimulated O2 uptake. This was due to a lowered rate of lactic acid production and not to a removal of lactic acid produced in the early part of the expts. NaF gave results similar to those obtained with iodoacetate, with the difference that lactic acid production was not lowered at concns. of fluoride which suppressed stimulated O2 uptake. The stimulated oxidation of lactate was not reduced by either iodoacetate or NaF at concns. which reduced stimulated oxidation of glucose. Malonate, up to 0.01 [image], decreased stimulated O2 uptake, and at the same time increased stimulated lactic acid production. Unstimulated O2 uptake and lactate production were not affected. Malonate at 0.1 [image] suppressed unstimulated O2 uptake and increased aerobic glycolysis. Malonate up to 0.01 [image] had no effect on electrically stimulated lactate oxidation. The results are discussed in terms of known metabolic pathways.