Quantitative histochemistry of selected central tracts

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Abstract
The following nervous tissues of the rabbit were studied by quantitative histochemical methods in an attempt to correlate chemical composition with structure and function within the nervous system: pyramidal tract; dorsal columns (midcervical cord); and the optic tract. The optic tract was high in phosphoglucoisomerase but lower in fumarase activity than the other tissues. With the exception of the optic tract, increasing fumarase activity was inversely proportional to the lipid content. In all tissues, transaminase activity was inversely proportional to lipid activity. Estimations of glucose-6-phos-phate dehydrogenase and isocitric dehydrogenase activity were also made. The presence in the optic tract of high activities of some glycolytic enzymes, combined with low fumarase activity, may suggest that the optic tract is more dependent on glycolysis for its energy than the other tracts studied. The significance of these results is discussed.

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