Alleviation of Brain Injury-Induced Cerebral Metabolic Depression by Amphetamine: A Cytochrome Oxidase Histochemistry Study

[摘要] Measurements of oxidative metaboliccapacity following the ablation of rat sensorimotorcortex and ,he administration of amphetaminewere examined to determine theireffects on the metabolic dysfunction thatfollows brain injury. Twenty-four hours aftersurgery, rats sustaining either sham operationsor unilateral cortical ablation were administereda single injection of D-amphetamine (2 mg/kg;i.p.) or saline and then sacrificed 24 h later.Brain tissue was processed for cytochromeoxidase histochemistry, and 12 bilateral cerebralareas were measured, using optical density asan index of the relative amounts of theenzyme. Compared with that of the controlgroups, cytochrome oxidase in the injuredanimals was significantly reduced throughoutthe cerebral cortex and in 5 of II subcorticalstructures. This injury-induced depression ofoxidative capacity was most pronounced inregions of the hemisphere ipsilateral to theablation. Animals given D-amphetamine had less depression of oxidative capacity, whichwas most pronounced bilaterally in the cerebralcortex, red nucleus, and superior colliculus;and in the nucleus accumbens, caudateputamen,and globus pallidus ipsilaterai to theablation. The ability of D-amphetamine toalleviate depressed cerebral oxidative metabolismfollowing cortical injury may be one mechanismby which drugs increasing noradrenalinerelease accelerate functional recovery in bothanimals and humans.

[学科分类] 精神健康和精神病学