Brain Acetylcholinesterase Activities in Rabbits Exhibiting Three Behavioral Patterns Following the Intracarotid Injection of Di-Isopropyl Fluorophosphate

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Injection of the same dose of di-isopropyl fluorophosphate (0.1 mg./kg.) into the right common carotid artery of rabbits resulted in 3 different behavioral states. The animals usually circled to the left, some however, turned to the right, and a few retained their normal mode of progression. An analysis of 5 areas each on the left and right sides of the brain reveal that forced circling whether to the right or left, is associated with an asymmetric reduction of AChE activity on the 2 sides of the brain. The forced circling may be explained by assuming that a biochemical lesion, the inactivation of AChE, results in abnormal accumulation of ACh which stimulates the affected brain areas. In animals that circle to the left, the right frontal cortex and right caudate nucleus were primarily involved, while in animals which turn to the right the frontal cortex on both sides of the brain as well as the right caudate nucleus are implicated. It is noteworthy that the comparatively small fall of AChE from 90 to 54% of normal in the left frontal cortex was associated with a change in behavior, namely a reversal in direction of circling from left to right.

This publication has 3 references indexed in Scilit: