Incorporation of radioactive phosphate into lipids and pentosenucleic acid of cat brain slices; the effect of inorganic ions

The metabolism of polyphosphoinositides in hen brain and sciatic nerve

1. The distribution of individual phospholipids was determined in hen brain and compared with that in sciatic nerve obtained in a previous investigation. Sciatic nerve is more enriched in the myelinic phospholipids ethanolamine plasmalogen, phosphatidylserine and sphingomyelin, but it contains relatively less triphosphoinositide, and much less diphosphoinositide, than the brain. 2. The course of incorporation of intraperitoneally injected (32)P into the acid-soluble phosphorus, phosphoinositides and total phospholipids of hen brain and sciatic nerve was followed. Although the maximum specific radioactivity in sciatic nerve of acid-soluble phosphorus is 4.5 times, and that of triphosphoinositide six times, that in the brain, the relative rate of triphosphoinositide phosphorus synthesis per gram of brain is three times that in sciatic nerve. 3. Administration of the demyelinating agent tri-o-cresyl phosphate to hens has no significant effect on the amounts or the rate of (32)P incorporation into the total phospholipids of the sciatic nerve. However, the rate of incorporation of (32)P into triphosphoinositide, although not its concentration, is raised from the first day after administration of the drug and remains thus 13 and 23 days later. 4. The incorporation of (32)P into polyphosphoinositides of hen brain slices in vitro was studied. The recovery of triphosphoinositide from the slices is markedly increased in the presence of EDTA, although the rate of incorporation of (32)P is unaffected. The incorporation of (32)P is dependent on the presence of Mg(2+) and Ca(2+) in the medium, and is decreased when Na(+) is replaced with K(+) or cholinium ions.

INCORPORATION OF INORGANIC P32INTO PHOSPHOLIPIDS OF BRAIN SLICES: EFFECT OF CERTAIN TRANQUILLIZING DRUGS

Promazine, promethazine, tetrameprazine, and WY 1172, four tranquillizing drugs that are derivatives of phenothiazine, resembled chlorpromazine in that when they were added in a concentration of 0.1 mM to slices of guinea pig brain respiring in a suitable medium they stimulated the incorporation of inorganic P32into the phospholipids of the slices. With one of the drugs, promethazine, this concentration of 0.1 mM was found to cause no significant increase in respiration, in aerobic glycolysis, or in the concentration of phosphocreatine. In higher concentrations (1.0 mM), all of the compounds inhibited the labelling of phospholipid. Promethazine caused a reduction in respiration and in the concentration of phosphocreatine, accompanied by an increase in aerobic glycolysis. Methylene blue, a derivative of phenothiazine with no reported tranquillizing properties, did not stimulate the labelling of phospholipid in brain slices. Azacyclonol, pipradrol, and mepazine, drugs that are derivatives of piperidine, also stimulated phospholipid labelling in low concentrations and inhibited the labelling at higher concentrations. Piperidine and benzhydrol, the two components from which azacyclonol is derived, did not stimulate phospholipid labelling at the concentration which was most effective for azacyclonol. Low concentrations of benzhydrol, however, caused a slight stimulation. Meprobamate and phenaglycodol, two other compounds with reputed tranquillizing action, had either little or no effect. Most of the substances tested inhibited phospholipid labelling when they were added in sufficiently high concentrations.

INCORPORATION OF INORGANIC P32INTO PHOSPHOLIPIDS OF BRAIN SLICES: EFFECT OF CERTAIN TRANQUILLIZING DRUGS

Promazine, promethazine, tetrameprazine, and WY 1172, four tranquillizing drugs that are derivatives of phenothiazine, resembled chlorpromazine in that when they were added in a concentration of 0.1 mM to slices of guinea pig brain respiring in a suitable medium they stimulated the incorporation of inorganic P32into the phospholipids of the slices. With one of the drugs, promethazine, this concentration of 0.1 mM was found to cause no significant increase in respiration, in aerobic glycolysis, or in the concentration of phosphocreatine. In higher concentrations (1.0 mM), all of the compounds inhibited the labelling of phospholipid. Promethazine caused a reduction in respiration and in the concentration of phosphocreatine, accompanied by an increase in aerobic glycolysis. Methylene blue, a derivative of phenothiazine with no reported tranquillizing properties, did not stimulate the labelling of phospholipid in brain slices. Azacyclonol, pipradrol, and mepazine, drugs that are derivatives of piperidine, also stimulated phospholipid labelling in low concentrations and inhibited the labelling at higher concentrations. Piperidine and benzhydrol, the two components from which azacyclonol is derived, did not stimulate phospholipid labelling at the concentration which was most effective for azacyclonol. Low concentrations of benzhydrol, however, caused a slight stimulation. Meprobamate and phenaglycodol, two other compounds with reputed tranquillizing action, had either little or no effect. Most of the substances tested inhibited phospholipid labelling when they were added in sufficiently high concentrations.