Disturbed energy metabolism in rat brain after extreme influences: a new method to evaluate energy state of the brain

We propose a new method to evaluate energy state of the brain based on vita l assay for phosphate metabolites and intracellular pH in the brain. A prop osed Z-index describes a set of correlations between phosphates involved in brain energy metabolism assayed in vivo by magnetic resonance spectroscopy on P-31 nuclei. We tried to use Z-index as a quantitative test for disturb ed energy metabolism. Potentialities of Z-index for evaluating rat brain en ergy state after extreme influences (X-irradiation and postoperative shock of the brain cortex) have been demonstrated.