Experiments on mice showed that sodium hydroxybutyrate increases the intensity of oxidation in the brain tissue during normal respiration and prevents the depression of tissue respiration developing in animals under hypoxic conditions. In this respect sodium hydroxybutyrate differs from typical narcotics and transquilizers. Neither nembutal nor chlorpromazine reduced the degree of depression of tissue respiration due to hypoxia.A previous investigation [1] showed that sodium hydroxybutyrate, unlike typical narcotics and tranquilizers, stimulates the intensity of oxidation in different parts of the brain, in addition, some of us [2] have shown that administration of sodium hydroxybutyrate increases the survival rate of animals in hypoxia.It was therefore decided to determine whether the depression of tissue respiration characteristic of hypoxia can be prevented by means of sodium hydroxybutyrate.
EXPERIMENTALFour series of experiments were carried out on male albino mice weighing 18-20 g. Series I was the control, and the animals were not exposed to hypoxia and did not receive sodium hydroxybutyrate. Series 1I included mice receiving sodium hydroxybutyrate intraperiteneally in a dose of 500 mg/kg. As previous investigations showed, this dose of sodium hydroxybutyrate produces the greatest increase in absorption of oxygen [i] and exhibits a protective effect in hypoxia [2].In the experiments of series I]I and IV, the mice were exposed to hypoxia. Details of the method used to produce hypoxic conditions were described previously [4]. The mice of series III were controls, and to assess the effect of hypoxia they did not receive sodium hydroxybutyrate, while the animals of series IV were injected with sodium hydroxybutyrate 30 min before being placed in an exsiccator containing a hypoxic mixture. The mice of these series were kept in the exsiccator for 20 rain each. After removal from the exsiccator they were immediately decapitated and the brain removed.The intensity of oxidation was studied in the cerebral cortex and brain stem of the mice of all series. The determination was carried out by a manometric method in a Warbug apparatus in Chetverikova's modification [5]. The composition of the incubation mixture was as follows (in mmoles/liter): a-ketoglutaric acid 20, neutralized with NaOH, MgCl 2 10, KCI 13.4, ATP i, K2HPO ~ 15. The brain tissue was placed in the incubation mixture in the outer receiver of the Warburg apparatus. The central container was filled with alkali (0.i roD. The apparatus was placed in an incubator for 30-40 rain with constant agitation.
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