title: A pictorial representation of endogenous brain ATP by a bioluminescent method.
abstract: The layering of a luciferin-luciferase solution on brain slices makes endogenous ATP visible. Rat brains, frozen in situ and sliced at 16 micrometer thickness at a temperature of--15 degrees C, were fixed by a ternary mixture of ethanol, formalin and dioxane at--20 degrees C for 15 min, and dried at 40 degrees C for 12 h. Luciferin, luciferase and a small quantity of magnesium sulfate were dissolved into an arsenate buffer solution containing 1% polyvinylpyrrolidone, 2% gelatin and 1% glycerol. The solution was then frozen into a column, sliced at 40 micrometer thickness at--15 degrees C and placed on the precooled brain slice. A luminiferous luciferin-ATP reaction begins when the brain slice reaches room temperature and persists for more than 10 min. This technique therefore makes possible the optical and/or photographic determination of the endogenous concentration of brain ATP. Capability of the technique is also demonstrated.
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000378:metabolism; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000378:metabolism; D049454:Firefly Luciferin; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000378:metabolism; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism; D002542:Intracranial Embolism and Thrombosis / Q000378:metabolism; D008156:Luciferases; D008297:Male; D008722:Methods; D051381:Rats; D012154:Reticular Formation / Q000378:metabolism; D013477:Superior Colliculi / Q000378:metabolism; D013788:Thalamus / Q000378:metabolism; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D049454:Firefly Luciferin; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D008156:Luciferases