Effects of acute CS2 intoxication on protein metabolism in rat brain.

The effect of acute CS2 exposure on the rat brain protein metabolism was studied with control and phenobarbitone pretreated adult male rats 1, 4 and 46 h after exposure. Increased activity of acid proteinase was detected in both test groups 1 and 4 h after exposure and it was accompanied by changes in 14C-labelled leucine turnover as well as in RNA content. The changes were more conspicuous in cerebellum than in brain in both test groups while phenobarbitone pretreatment modified the brain response towards intoxication. This modification probably represents inherent effects of barbiturate on brain protein metabolism as well as altered metabolism of CS2. The activities of creatine kinase and nonspecific cholinesterase displayed only subtle changes as assayed in cerebral homogenate and serum. Thus a single acute CS2 intoxication apparently causes definitive transient changes in brain protein metabolism; serum enzyme determinations may not reflect the magnitude of these changes.