Effect of Chlorpromazine, Ether, and Phenobarbital on the Active-Phosphate Level of Rat Brain: an Improved Extraction Technique for Acid-soluble Phosphates

Abstract

DEPRESSANTS of cerebral activity have been reported to increase the level of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and phosphocreatine (PC) in the brains of treated animals. This effect has been observed, for example, with barbiturates^1,2 and chlorpromazine² in rats and with reserpine in mice³. However, with the use of an improved extraction technique for nucleotides which prevents their degradation during isolation, we have been unable to confirm these observations. Furthermore, we have found an explanation for these observations in that depressant drugs retard a very rapid degradation of ATP and PC by the brain tissue which occurs immediately following decapitation; the drugs also apparently retard a degradation of ATP and PC which can occur during their isolation at 0° C. In accord with the work reported here, Mandel and Harth⁴ and Gerlach et al.⁵ found no elevation of the level of ATP in the brains of sedated rats.