Halothane effects on ATP content and uridine uptake and phosphorylation in Tetrahymena pyriformis.

The effects of halothane on uptake and phosphorylation of uridine, and on cellular ATP content were studied in Tetrahymena pyriformis, a ciliate protozoan. Exposure to halothane inhibited the accumulation of 14C-uridine into the following acid-soluble intracellular pools: UTP, UDP, UMP, and an unidentified compound. Halothane did not alter ATP content of intact cells. It is concluded that inhibition by halothane of uridine incorporation into RNA of T. pyriformis is due to effects on uridine uptake and/or phosphorylation and not due to inhibition of the RNA polymerase reaction or reduction of ATP content.