K+--induced changes of oxygen uptake by neuronal enriched and glial enriched fractions from mouse brain cortex

Neuronal and glial enriched fractions were incubated in a medium with 10mM pyruvate, 5mM fumarate and 0.9mM 5'-AMP and the effect of increased external K+ concentrations was studied upon oxygen uptake. A concentration of 65 mM K+ had a different effect on the oxygen consumption of glial and neuronal perikarya. The rate of oxygen uptake by glia was stimulated by 52.81% whilst an insignificant decrease of 15.79% occurred in the neurones. The highest rate of oxygen uptake by incubated cells was estimated in the presence of the substrate system containing pyruvate, fumarate and 5'-AMP. The significance of components in the substrate system for a high rate of oxygen uptake by cells was also tested with 6.2 mM K+ and 65 mM K+.