[Response of pyramid neurons of the cerebral cortex to oxygen deficiency and cAMP administration]

Contact microscopy of vital brain preparation revealed changes in bioelectric activity of the cat brain cortex during short--time anoxia following cAMP microionophoretic administration. cAMP at that acted as a protector of single pyramidal neurons as manifested in a decrement of "anoxia excitation" frequency and in an increasing number of previously "silent" neurons which could not be made active with an ordinary anoxia. The intracellular reductive equivalent accumulation rate also decreased essentially during anoxia. These effects depended on time interval after cAMP administration.