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Electrophoretic production of “reactive” axon swellings in vitro and their histochemical properties

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Summary

Application of a longitudinal current to fresh unfixed nerves produced, in 2 hrs, various types of axon swellings which were indistinguishable from reactive axon swellings in pathological material. Production of these swellings depended on an adequate time of exposure, an adequate current, and a local injury to the fiber.

In electrophoretically produced axon swellings, many oxidative enzymes accumulated such as: DPN-diaphorase, TPN-diaphorase, cytochrome oxidase, succinic dehydrogenase, lactic dehydrogenase, isocitric dehydrogenase, malic dehydrogenase, glutamate dehydrogenase, and alcohol dehydrogenase. Alkaline and acid phosphatase did not accumulate in axonal swellings. There was also an accumulation of mitochondria, lipids (probably in mitochondrial membranes), proteins, carbohydrates, and ribonucleic acid. This array of substances was identical with that found in reactive axonal swellings produced both experimentally and pathologically in vivo.

Axoplasm in reactive axon swellings that were produced in vivo showed the same electrophoretic convection as axoplasm of normal fibers.

Accumulation of substances in an axon swelling can result from a confined local shift of axoplasm; it does not inherently indicate a changed rate of production by the nerve cell.

Physiological currents in the tissue may well be responsible for the development of “reactive” axon swellings, as well as for the normal convection of axoplasm.

Zusammenfassung

Die Anwendung von Längsdurchströmung auf frische, unfixierte Nerven erzeugt nach 2 Std verschiedene Arten von Axonschwellungen, welche von reaktiven Axonschwellungen in pathologischem Material nicht unterscheidbar sind. Die Erzeugung dieser Schwellungen hängt von der adäquaten Zeit des Stromdurchflusses, von adäquaten Stromkonstanten und von der lokalen Schädigung der Faser ab.

In den elektrophoretisch erzeugten Axonschwellungen häufen sich viele oxydative Enzyme an: so DPN-Diaphorase, TPN-Diaphorase, Cytochrom-Oxydase, Bernsteinsäure-Dehydrogenase, Milchsäure-Dehydrogenase, Isocitronensäure-Dehydrogenase, Äpfelsäure-Dehydrogenase, Glutamat-Dehydrogenase und Alkohol-Dehydrogenase. Alkalische und saure Phosphatase waren in den Axonschwellungen nicht vermehrt. Ebenso wird eine Anhäufung von Mitochondrien sowie von Lipoiden (wahrscheinlich in Mitochondrienmembranen), Proteinen, Kohlenhydrat und Ribonucleinsäure festgestellt. Diese Gruppierung von Substanzen ist identisch mit jener, die in reaktiven Axonschwellungen sowohl im Experiment als auch unter pathologischen Bedingungen in vivo gefunden wird.

Das Axoplasma von intravital erzeugten Axonschwellungen besitzt die gleiche elektrophoretische Mobilität wie das Axoplasma normaler Nervenfasern.

Die Substanzanhäufung in Axonschwellungen kann von einer lokal begrenzten Axoplasmaströmung herrühren; sie weist nicht unbedingt auf eine geänderte Produktionsrate in der Nervenzelle hin.

Physiologische Ströme im Gewebe können ebenso für die Entstehung von “reaktiven” Axonschwellungen wie für die normale Axoplasmaströmung verantwortlich gemacht werden.

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  1. Mental Health Research Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan

    Reinhard L. Friede

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With 5 Figures in the Text

This investigation was supported by U.S. Public Health Service, Grant No. B-3250.

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Friede, R.L. Electrophoretic production of “reactive” axon swellings in vitro and their histochemical properties. Acta Neuropathol 3, 217–228 (1964). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00684397

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