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BIOCHEMICAL STUDIES ON DEGENERATIVE NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS: 1. ACUTE EXPERIMENTAL ENCEPHALITIS
Author(s) -
Bowen D. M.,
Flack R. H. A.,
Martin R. O.,
Smith Carolyn B.,
White Pamela,
Davison A. N.
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
journal of neurochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.75
H-Index - 229
eISSN - 1471-4159
pISSN - 0022-3042
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-4159.1974.tb04342.x
Subject(s) - cathepsin d , astrogliosis , cathepsin , pathology , gliosis , biology , microglia , biochemistry , enzyme , medicine , central nervous system , immunology , endocrinology , inflammation
—Weanling mice were either injected with viruses or fed cuprizone. Changes in total activity of two cathepsins and two β‐glycosidases were characteristic of each of the five acute encephalopathies studied. Comparisons made between morphological change and hydrolase activity shows that β‐galactosidase and cathepsin A may be useful indices of neuronal degeneration and cellular infiltration into white matter, respectively. β‐Glucuronidase appears to be a particularly sensitive index of cellular reactions to injury. Cathepsin D activity does not appear to reflect any one type of neural cell. Although the morphological changes included neuronal degeneration, perivascular cuffing with mononuclear cells, astrocytic hypertrophy and microgliosis none of the experimental conditions mimicked biochemical changes in multiple sclerosis or senile dementia. The measurement of lysosomal enzymes appears to be a more sensitive indication of acute neurological disorder than the screening of brain proteins by polyacrylamide gel clectrophoresisor the measurement of enzymes (acetylcholinesterase, DOPA decarboxylase and carbonic anhydrase) characteristic of neural cells.