Syrian hamsters were used to study the effect of aging on brain slice respiration and metabolism. Young animals (average age 8 months) and old animals (average age 18 months) were incubated under standard conditions with the following parameters being measured: oxygen uptake, 14CO2 production, glucose utilization, lactate and pyruvate formation. No differences were found in the two groups. It is still very likely that subtle differences exist but can only be documented under conditions of metabolic stress.
Respiration and carbohydrate metabolism were measured in guinea-pig brain slices exposed to organic and inorganic mercury. Organic mercury decreased oxygen uptake and 14C02 production at consistently lower concentrations than inorganic mercury. Organic mercury also caused a striking elevation ofpyruvate and lactate at low doses where inorganic mercury had no effect on respiration or metabolism. A unique inhibition of tricarboxylic acid cycle function is suggested and might partially explain the distinctive neurotoxicity of organic nercury.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.