The histochemical localization of cholinesterases in the central nervous system of the rat

Abstract

There is now a considerable amount of data to support the hypothesis that cholinergic transmission occurs at certain synapses in the central nervous system (Feldberg, '45, '50, '51; Koelle and Gilman, '49). One line of evidence is based upon the parallelism found between known cholinergic neurons of the peripheral nervous system and certain regions of the central nervous system with respect to their high concentrations of acetylcholine ( ACh), choline acetylase and specific (true, aceto-, or acetyl-) cholinesterase (ChE). Burgen and Chipman ( '51) recently demonstrated for various regions of the dog's brain relatively close correlations between their own figures for specific ChE activity and those of Feldberg and Vogt ('48) for choline acetylase and of MacIntosh ('41) for ACh. It has been pointed out frequently that conventional determinations of ChE activity employing homogenates, while providing quantitative results, leave much to be desired as far as details of localization are concerned. Thus, when a region of the brain is found to have high activity it.is impossible to be certain whether it is attributable to enzyme associated with the entering axons, with neurons originating in

The RNA-Binding Protein HuD Binds Acetylcholinesterase mRNA in Neurons and Regulates its Expression after Axotomy

“…Numerous studies have previously characterized the expression pattern of AChE molecular forms, activity, and transcripts in neurons of the CNS and PNS (Koelle, 1954;Hosli and Hosli, 1970;Mesulam and Geula, 1991;Hammond et al, 1994;Karpel et al, 1994;Bernard et al, 1995). Although the individual roles of transcriptional and post-transcriptional events are being addressed using various cell-culture systems, there is, in comparison, very little known about the molecular mechanisms controlling AChE expression in neurons in vivo.…”

Combined Damage to Entorhinal Cortex and Cholinergic Basal Forebrain Neurons, Two Early Neurodegenerative Features Accompanying Alzheimer's Disease: Effects on Locomotor Activity and Memory Functions in Rats

“…Sections, 30 mm in thickness, were collected onto gelatine-coated slides. These sections were dried at room temperature and stained either with cresyl violet, according to Klüver and Barrera (1953) in order to identify the extent of EC lesion sites, or for acetylcholinesterase (AChE) histochemistry according to Koelle (1954) to verify the extent of the cholinergic denervation in both the cortical mantle and the hippocampus.…”

Distribution of Cholinergic Vasomotor Nerves to the Parametrial Arteries of Some Laboratory and Domestic Animals

“…In both rat and rabbit, the staining reaction obtained was completely prevented in tissues which had been treated with physostigmine, but was only reduced in intensity by about 50% in tissues treated with BW284C51, suggesting the presence of cholinesterase activity other than that due to AChE. The existence of comparatively large amounts of 'pseudo'-cholinesterase has been remarked previously in the nervous systems of both rat (Koelle, 1954;Shute & Lewis, 1963) and rabbit (Koelle, 1955).…”