Alterations in Metabolism During Electrical Excitation of Frog Nerve

¹ From the Department of Physiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois

Isolated frog sciatic nerves, after preliminary soaking in tracer phosphate (P₃₂), showed an increased uptake into the labile phosphates, phospholipids (P.L.) and residual phosphates (R.P.) and a decreased uptake into the glycolytic intermediates, and nucleic acids (N.A.P.) during subsequent stimulation as compared to rest. This evidence for increased oxidative phosphorylation and decreased glycolysis during electrical excitation is supported by analytical evidence showing an increased concentration of glycolytic intermediates and lactic acid in the absence of decreased carbohydrate precursors, during electrical stimulation.