Nuclear magnetic resonance determination of flow, lactate, and phosphate metabolites during amphetamine stimulation of the rat brain.

The effects of amphetamine on rat cerebral blood flow, lactate, and phosphate levels were studied using in vivo nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Proton NMR imaging was used to determine the region of brain being studied. Blood flow was estimated by detecting the washout of trifluoromethane using 19F NMR. A dose of 20 mg/kg D-amphetamine sulphate stimulated flow fourfold over control values for at least 1 h. Even though amphetamine stimulated a large increase in flow, there were no significant changes in levels of inorganic phosphate, ATP, phosphocreatine, pH or Mg2+ as determined by 31P NMR. This was true for doses of 10 and 20 mg/kg D-amphetamine sulphate. No significant changes occurred in 1H NMR detected levels of lactate with a 20 mg/kg dose of amphetamines. Lactate levels increased slightly 30 min after administration of 10 mg/kg D-amphetamine sulphate. The results call into question the central role of changes in levels of phosphates in coupling increased cortical activity to increases in metabolism.