[Regulation of oxidative phosphorylation as a possible method of normalizing cerebral metabolism]

Experiments were performed to study the effect of chronic emotional painful stress on oxidative phosphorylation in different structures of rat brain at varying times of the development as well as after pretreatment with psychotropic agents. During the stage of excess catabolism, stress was demonstrated to dramatically inhibit and dissociate oxidative phosphorylation. This led to the impairment of macroerg synthesis and to the reduction of the brain macroerg content. Prophylactic administration of the derivatives of nicotinic acid and GABA markedly stimulated oxidative phosphorylation making it return to the initial level. Mebicar and meprobamate were less powerful. Chlorodiazepoxide aggravated stressful effects on tissue respiration and oxidative phosphorylation. It has been demonstrated that energy metabolism of the brain may return to normal at the expense of stimulation of oxidative phosphorylation.