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Further studies on the metabolic background of tranquilizing drug action

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Summary

The effect of 13 tranquilizing drugs on brain metabolism has been investigated. Characteristic of all compounds was the ability to inhibit both the oxidative phosphorylation and the adenosine triphosphatase activity of brain cells. A close quantitative relationship was found between the effects in vitro and in vivo; the relative effectiveness in vivo of a tranquilizer was determined by the strength of the inhibitory actions exerted on oxidative phosphorylation and adenosine triphosphatase activity. This quantitative paralellism between actions in vivo and in vitro is corroborated by data in the literature. It was concluded that tranquilizing drug effects (the manifestations measurable in animal experiments) are correlated with the simultaneous inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation and ATPase activity of brain, and especially of hypothalamic cells: i.e. with depression of energy production and energy utilization.

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  1. Institute of Pharmacology, Medical University, Pécs, Hungary

    L. Decsi

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Decsi, L. Further studies on the metabolic background of tranquilizing drug action. Psychopharmacologia 2, 224–242 (1961). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00411192

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