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TRANSPORT OF CHOLESTEROL IN THE CHICK OPTIC SYSTEM
Author(s) -
Rostas J. A. P.,
McGregor Angela,
Jeffrey P. L.,
Austin L.
Publication year - 1975
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.1471-4159.1975.tb11879.x
Subject(s) - cholesterol , optic nerve , optic tectum , axoplasmic transport , biology , chemistry , medicine , anatomy , endocrinology , central nervous system
— After injection of radioactive cholesterol into the vitreous humour of chicks, cholesterol is axonally transported along the optic nerve to the contralateral optic tectum. In the optic nerve of young chicks cholesterol is only transported at the slow rate whereas in the sciatic nerve of adult chicks it is transported at both the fast and slow rates. This difference is not due to age or a peculiarity of avian species as the same difference exists in mice. Estimates of the cholesterol content of tissues and the amount of cholesterol transported suggests the existence of small rapidly turning over pools of cholesterol in nerves. Due to its great metabolic stability, cholesterol is a useful and specific marker for slow transport in the optic nerve and thus may prove suitable for the mapping of neuronal projections.