Uncoupling of flow and metabolism induced by sodium nitroprusside in rat cerebral cortex

• Published in: Neuroreport Vol. 15; no. 1; p. 141
• Main Authors: Inoue, Osamu, Taguchi, Hitomi, Watanabe, Toshimitsu, Hosoi, Rie, Kobayashi, Kaoru, Nishimura, Tsunehiko, Gee, Antony
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 19.01.2004
• Subjects: Animals; Cerebral Cortex - blood supply; Cerebral Cortex - drug effects; Cerebral Cortex - metabolism; Glucose - metabolism; Male; Nitroprusside - pharmacology; Rats; Rats, Wistar
• ISSN: 0959-4965
• DOI: 10.1097/00001756-200401190-00027

The effects of sodium nitroprusside (SNP) on cerebral blood flow and glucose metabolism were investigated by the microinfusion of SNP into rat cerebral cortex. A significant enhancement in glucose metabolism, as measured using [14C]deoxyglucose (DG), was observed throughout widespread areas of the cerebral cortex within 1 h of microinjection of 50 nmol/microl SNP. Using a kinetic analysis, the increase in glucose metabolism was found to be due to an increase in the phosphorylation of [14C]DG in the brain. On the other hand, regional cerebral blood flow, as measured using [14C]iodoantypirine, was not significantly altered by the SNP infusion. No significant cell death was detected by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining 1 h after the SNP infusion. The uncoupling of flow and metabolism was almost completely prevented by pretreatment with an NMDA antagonist, MK-801. However, pretreatment with MK-801 did not prevent the SNP-induced neural cell death detected 6 h after the SNP infusion. These results suggest that the SNP-induced uncoupling of flow and metabolism was not directly related to neural cell death in the cerebral cortex.