Premium
A histochemical study of cervical motor neurons and the posterior latissimus dorsi muscle in normal and dystrophic chickens
Author(s) -
Sansone Frances M.,
Lebeda Frank J.
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
journal of morphology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.652
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1097-4687
pISSN - 0362-2525
DOI - 10.1002/jmor.1051470204
Subject(s) - chromatolysis , biology , anatomy , denervation , neuropil , succinic dehydrogenase , cholinesterase , nissl body , spinal cord , succinate dehydrogenase , staining , endocrinology , central nervous system , neuroscience , enzyme , biochemistry , genetics
A chromatolysis study, 14 to 21 days following denervation, showed the spinal cord representation of the nerve to the posterior latissimus dorsi muscle to be in the ventrolateral cell column between cervical ganglia 14 and 15. To characterize cervical neurons not undergoing chromatolysis, histochemical studies were done on the cords of additional nondenervated animals. Staining reactions for beta‐hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase, succinic dehydrogenase and cholinesterase did not reveal any quantitative differences between motor neurons in cervical segments 14 and 15 of normal and dystrophic birds. Motor neurons are positive for beta‐hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase and succinic dehydrogenase, but the surrounding neuropil is positive for the latter only. No pseudochlinesterase activity is found in the ventral horn cells, but true cholinesterase is present in most of the neurons. With the periodic acid‐Schiff reaction the dystrophic cords exhibit many neurons with large amounts of glycogen in them. Normal cords examined show either no glycogen positive cells or an occasional ventral horn cell with much glycogen in it. Normal muscles contain less succinic dehydrogenase and beta‐hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase positive fibers than dystrophic muscle. More periodic acid‐Schiff positive fibers are present in normal muscles than in dystrophic muscle. The motor endplates in normal muscle contain only true cholinesterase. Both true and pseudocholinesterase activity is present in the motor endplates of dystrophic muscle.