The turnover of cerebral glycogen in mice has been investigated by using [U‐14C]glucose as a precursor. The time required for turnover of total glycogen and limit dextrin has been determined in normal animals and animals given phenobarbital or hydrocortisone. In all 3 groups, the turnover time for limit dextrin was twice that of total glycogen. Phenobarbital increased the time for turnover of total glycogen and limit dextrin approximately 2‐fold, whereas hydrocortisone diminished the turnover time of both fractions to one‐half. The accumulation of glycogen during phenobarbital anesthesia (2·5‐fold) is attributed to the decrease in rate of phosphorolysis rather than elevated glycogenesis. The ratio of phosphorylase a to total phosphorylase was significantly decreased in the brains of phenobarbital‐treated mice, while the ratio of glycogen synthetase I to total synthetase activity was not affected. The administration of hydrocortisone had no effect on either the phosphorylase or synthetase of mouse brain. A mathematical model was devised to determine the rate constants for incorporation of labelled glucose into brain glycogen and the subsequent loss of radioactivity. Metabolite levels and enzyme activities have been correlated with the observed changes in glycogen turnover.
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