EFFECTS OF OXYGEN INDUCED CONVULSIONS ON THE UPTAKE OF ACETATE INTO RAT BRAIN LIPIDS1,2

Abstract— Rats were exposed to 5 atmospheres absolute of oxygen, and 1-¹⁴C]acetate was injected into the jugular vein either before or at the onset of electroencephalogram-defined convulsions. Levels of ¹⁴C observed 2.2 min after the injection were reduced in the total lipids of brain and elevated in the blood of convulsed rats when compared to the nonconvulsed controls. These differences between convulsed and nonconvulsed animals were less pronounced when measured 15 and 60 min after injection. Convulsions did not change the amount of ¹⁴C incorporated into the total lipids of plasma during the 60 min period studied. Six fractions obtained from total lipid extracts of brain by TEAE-cellulose showed similar ¹⁴C distributions in convulsed and control animals. The results suggest that oxygen-induced convulsions cause an impaired utilization of systemically administered acetate for fatty acid incorporation into the lipids of brain.