An Experimental Study of the Cerebral Coproporphyrin in Rabbits.

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Abstract
A fluorophoto-metric procedure is described for the quantitative estimation of the cerebral coproporphyrin. The range of concn. in the brains of normal rabbits was found to be 2.3 to 6.7 7/100 gs., with an avg. of 3.5 [gamma]. Two groups of 6 rabbits each were poisoned with Pb acetate, the first receiving 50 mgs./kg., and the 2d. 100 mgs./kg. in a single intraperit. injn. The animals were killed 7-10 days later at a time when the urinary coproporphyrin (type III) was markedly increased. The cerebral coproporphyrin concn. was detd., and ranged in these 12 animals from 1.8-5.12 [gamma]/100 gs., with an avg. of 3.5 [gamma]; in other words, the same as the controls. Thus no evidence was provided for the derivation of the urinary coproporphyrin from the cerebral coproporphyrin, although the possibility of a rapid elaboration and release from the brain is not excluded.