BRAIN ENERGETICS IN OXYGEN-INDUCED CONVULSIONS

Mice were exposed to 6 ATA of 100% oxygen. The effect of high oxygen pressure (OHP), disulphiram and both disulphiram and oxygen as a function of the length of oxygen exposure on cerebral cortical ATP, phosphocreatine, lactate, pyruvate and glucose was determined. Neither OHP nor disulphiram altered ATP prior to the onset of convulsions. The combination of OHP and disulphiram appeared to elevate cerebral ATP, particularly during the early exposure period. OHP had no effect on phosphocreatine, however, disulphiram, both alone and in combination with OHP increased cerebral cortical phosphocreatine. ATP and phosphocreatine were unchanged in mice sacrificed either at the onset or 9 s after the onset of oxygen convulsions. Lactate and pyruvate increased as the length of time the mice were exposed to OHP increased although neither lactate nor pyruvate levels differed significantly from control levels at either the onset or 9 s after the onset of convulsions. Disulphiram by itself lowered cerebral lactate, and prevented the increase in lactate and pyruvate in mice exposed to OHP. OHP and disulphiram increased cerebral glucose with the combination of both OHP and disulphiram appearing to have an additive effect. Glucose also remained elevated at the onset or 9 s after the onset of oxygen convulsions.