OCCURRENCE OF DIHYDROXYPHENYLALANINE DECARBOXYLASE IN NERVES OF THE SPINAL CORD AND SYMPATHETICALLY INNERVATED ORGANS,

Abstract

After transection of the rabbit spinal cord the L-3,4dihydroxyphenylalanine decarboxylase activity in the caudal part was reduced by 90-95 and 75-85 per cent when determined in vitro and in vivo, respectively. The drop appeared to be fastest between the second and fifth day, and the activity reached its minimum level after 3 weeks. In the rabbit iris the dihydroxyphenylalanine decarboxylase activity fell to approximately 10 per cent of that of the control side in 48 hours after the excision of the superior cervical ganglion. In both tissues the time courses of the disappearance of dihydroxyphenylalanine decarboxylase activity and of noradrenaline were very similar but the amine disappeared somewhat more suddenly and rapidly than the enzyme. Preganglionic sympathectomy did not influence the dihydroxyphenylalanine decarboxylase activity in the iris. The nerve trunk contained only 15-20 times higher activity than the iris, why the dihydroxyphenylalanine decarboxylase like noradrenaline probably occurs in the whole neuron but is highly concentrated in the terminals. Postganglionic sympathectomy reduced the dihydroxyphenylalanine decarboxylase activity in the rat submaxillary gland and spleen by 85 and 80 per cent, respectively. (Author)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 1965
Accession Number
AD0617978

Entities

People

  • Evald Rosengren
  • Nils-erik Anden
  • Tor Magnusson

Organizations

  • University of Gothenburg

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Amines
  • Amino Acids
  • Anatomy
  • Biological Sciences
  • Chemical Compounds
  • Excision
  • Norepinephrine
  • Spinal Cord
  • Terminals
  • Tissues
  • Tyrosine

Fields of Study

  • Biology
  • Computer science

Readers

  • Immunology
  • Information Retrieval
  • Neuroscience