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Histochemical studies on the morphology of the golgi apparatus and on the distribution of hexokinase, L-gulonolactone oxidase, xylulose reductases, and ascorbic acid in the locus coeruleus of the rabbit

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Summary

Detailed histochemical studies have been conducted on the distribution of thiamine pyrophosphatase (TPPase), hexokinase and glucokinase (HK), L-gulonolactone oxidase (GO), D-xylulose reductase (DX), L-xylulose reductase (LX) and ascorbic acid (AC) in every component of the locus coeruleus (LC) of the healthy adult male rabbit.

The LC consisted of medium-sized neurons and small neurons. Both types of neurons were classified into the same five categories on the basis of the morphology of the Golgi apparatus (GA). Many intermediate forms were observed between these different categories. The present results concerning TPPase may indicate that each type of neuron goes through cyclic activity.

The GA of the small neurons showed little variation in its reactivity and volume in each category and no disintegration or budding-off. These neurons were mildly positive for the HK test, and negative for the GO, DX, LX and AC tests in contrast to the medium-sized neurons. These results may suggest that the small neurons are metabolically inactive, and that they have a different function from the medium-sized neurons.

The morphology of the GA of the medium-sized neurons was basically similar to that described for motor neurons. It was considerably different from the morphology of the GA reported in the dorsal vagal nucleus (X) and hypothalamic neurosecretory nuclei (HMN) of the rabbit. These results suggest that the medium-sized neurons of the LC may be motor neurons, and that they may not have a neurosecretory function.

The medium-sized neurons showed strong activity whereas the surrounding glial cells and neuropil exhibited mild activity in the HK test. These findings may suggest that these neurons get their energy source directly from the circulating blood.

The medium-sized neurons were mildly to moderately positive for the DX and LX tests, and some of them were strongly positive for the GO test. Positive granules showed the tendency to accumulate in a proximal part of the main cell process and the part of perikaryon adjacent to it for the AC test. On the basis of these results, it is suggested that there is a strong possibility that at least some of the medium-sized neurons of the LC have the ability to synthesize vitamin C. This ability may be intimately related to the ontogenetical development of catecholamine.

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  1. Anatomy Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan

    Koichi Iijima

  2. Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Akita University, Akita City, Japan

    Koichi Iijima

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Iijima, K. Histochemical studies on the morphology of the golgi apparatus and on the distribution of hexokinase, L-gulonolactone oxidase, xylulose reductases, and ascorbic acid in the locus coeruleus of the rabbit. Histochemie 25, 107–122 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00279109

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