Flying spot studies of brain flavoproteins in the gerbil

The flying spot fluorometer/reflectometer for flavoprotein (Fp) was used in the present study in order to evaluate energy metabolism in the anesthetized gerbil brain. This model was exposed to various conditions, such as anoxia, spreading depression, and ischemia. The fluorescence and reflected light were analyzed in terms of intensities of histograms, and the fractional changes were calculated and compared between the metabolic states. The results show that under various conditions, the fluorescence of Fp changed together with the reflectance change, and the net mitochondrial change was not always clear. The results presented in the study are in good agreement with the previously-published results.