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—The quantitative method of Ellman, Courtney, Andres and Featherstone (1961) was adapted to a differential assay for the determination of acetyl‐ and pseudocholinesterase activities of sympathetic ganglia of rats. The activities of the cholinesterases of superior cervical, stellate and thoracic chain ganglia and of the abdominal ganglionic complexes in apposition to the superior mesenteric and coeliac arteries (superior mesenteric, coeliac and cardiac ganglia) were measured. B.W.284C51 dibromide, 5 × 10−5m, and ethopropazine hydrochloride, 3·15 × 10−5m, were employed to inhibit selectively acetyl‐ and pseudocholinesterases, respectively. Linearity was shown to be maintained with enzyme concentrations corresponding to 0·12‐0·5 mg of ganglion (wet wt.)/incubation. Under the experimental conditions of this assay, the rates of the reaction of ganglionic acetyl‐ and pseudocholinesterases were linear for time periods greater than those employed for calculating the rates of hydrolysis in the homogenates of sympathetic ganglia. Several experimental approaches were used to ascertain the specificity of the inhibitors and of the reaction. Of the total cholinesterase activity of sympathetic ganglia of rats, 55‐63 per cent was due to acetylcholinesterase and 31‐39 per cent to pseudocholinesterase. On the basis of the specific enzyme activity, superior cervical, stellate and superior mesenteric ganglia contained higher acetyl‐ and pseudocholinesterase activities than did thoracic chain, coeliac and cardiac (abdominal) ganglia. The specific activity of acetylcholinesterase was similar in rat and cat superior cervical ganglia and sympathetic cervical trunks while the pseudocholinesterase activity of these two tissues was somewhat lower in cats than in rats.

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Abstract— Immunosympathectomy was produced in Sprague‐Dawley rats by the subcutaneous injection of 300 units of nerve growth factor (NGF)‐antiserum (1.56 mg of freeze‐dried serum)/g/day for 6 days, the first dose being given 5–8 hr after birth. The immunosympathectomized rats and their control littermates were killed 2½ and 7 months after birth. Ganglionic acetylcholinesterase and pseudocholinesterase activities were measured by an adaption (Kungman, Kungman and Pouszczuk, 1968) of the colorimetric method of Ellman, Courtney, Andres and Featherstone (1961). Following immunosympathectomy the activities of these enzymes decreased significantly in superior cervical, stellate, thoracic chain, cardiac (abdominal), coeliac and superior mesenteric ganglia. The reduction of the acetylcholinesterase activity was greater than expected in a number of sympathetic ganglia, e.g. superior cervical, stellate, coeliac and cardiac ganglia, if one considered that only the postganglionic neurons were affected by immunosympathectomy. The activities of these enzymes were also reduced in the cervical sympathetic trunks from NGF‐antiserum‐treated rats. By means of decentralization and axotomy it was shown that 45 per cent of the total ganglionic acetylcholinesterase activity was associated with the preganglionic and 55 per cent with the postganglionic elements of the superior cervical ganglion from control rats. It was concluded that immunosympathectomy also affects the preganglionic sympathetic neurons. It is not known whether this is a primary effect of the NGF‐antiserum or a secondary effect resulting from the absence of over 90 per cent of the postganglionic sympathetic cell bodies.

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