Sodium nitroprusside (NPS) stimulates the lactate formation and causes intracellular electrolyte shifts in brain slices.

Nitroprusside sodium (NPS) was added to slices from grey and white rabbit brain matter. The respiration, consumption of glucose, formation of lactate and pyruvate, water content, size of the extracellular space, and total and intracellular sodium and potassium concentrations were determined and calculated. 0.5 and 1 mM NPS stimulated the glycolytic glucose breakdown, and inhibited the respiration of grey and white slices. The respiration of white matter slices was stimulated by 0.05 and 0.01 mM NPS. The total and intracellular potassium concentrations in slices from grey and white matter were lowered markedly by 1 mM NPS. The total and the intracellular sodium concentrations in grey brain matter slices became higher in the presence of 1 mM NPS. A warning is given against uncritical clinical use of higher concentrations of NPS.