Free Amino- Nitrogen of the Brain Tissue Part 1 On the Amino- and Non-Protein-Nitrogen Contents in the Rat Brain

Amino- and non-protein- nitrogen in fresh rats brains under variously treated conditions were determined. Amino- nitrogen was measured by the copper method of Pope and Stevens, non-protein-nitrogen by the micro-Kjeldahl procedure. The results were as follows: 1) In the normal control group, the mean of amino-N contents was 36.8 mg%, ranged from 34.3~38.5 mg/%, and the mean of non- protein-N was 161.1 mg%, ranging from 140.3~184.1 mg%. 2) In the case of repeated electroshocked rats (twice daily, amounted to 20~30 times), both amino-N and non-protein-N showed no appreciable change. These were also almost normal in the group injected with methylpropamine repeatedly (60 mg/kg daily, for 3 weeks). 3) In the hypophysectomized rats, amino-N contents were slightly lower than in the normal group, while in the group injected with chlorpromazine (10 mg/kg daily for 3 weeks), appreciable decrease of the non-protein-N contents was found. In general, it can be concluded that the contents of amino-nitrogen as well as non-protein-nitrogen keep relatively constant levels by those above-menthioned treatments.