Effects of Anoxia in Vitro on Cellular Respiration of Brain Cortex

Abstract— –Anaerobic preincubation of slices of brain cortex from adult rats in saline at 37°C, but not at 20°C, impaired their capacity to oxidize glucose and other substrates. This effect was to a large extent prevented by including either glucose + oxaloacetate, or l ‐glutamine + l ‐aspartate +α‐oxoglutarate in the medium during anaerobic preincubation, and in addition the anaerobic uptake of water by the tissue was decreased. The respiratory mechanism in slices of brain cortex from 1‐day‐old rats was much less affected by anoxia and sensitivity to anoxia develops with age.