Sohan L. Manocha

Histochemical mapping of the distribution of monoamine oxidase in the diencephalon and basal telencephalic centers of the brain of squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus)

The activity of monoamine oxidase (MAO) was mapped at the macroscopic level using 50 μ thick fresh frozen sections arranged in a caudo-cranial series of sections through the diencephalon and basal telencephalic centers of the squirrel monkey brain. The various thalamic nuclei show a mild MAO reaction except the nuclei periventricularis and para- and subfascicularis, which show moderate MAO reaction. The hypothalamus, in general, shows a stronger MAO reaction than the thalamus, because of its involvement in various autonomic functions. The nuclei paraventricularis, supraopticus and ventromedialis hypothalami are particularly prominent because of the stronger MAO activity they show in contrast to other hypothalamic areas. The nucleus caudatus, putamen and globus pallidus show mild to moderate MAO activity. The fiber bundles of fimbria hippocampi, fornix, anterior commissure and internal capsule show a moderate to moderately strong MAO reaction. The nuclei of the amygdaloid complex differ little from one another and show negligible to mild MAO activity. The nuclei dorsalis, medialis and lateralis septi show a mild MAO reaction compared to the moderate activity in the nuclei fasciculi diagonalis Brocae and triangularis septi.

Cytochemical response of kidney, liver and nervous system to fluoride ions in drinking water

SynopsisMorphological and cytochemical studies on the squirrel monkey have been made after maintaining the subjects on pure distilled water and fluoridated distilled water for 18 months with the objective of determining the effect of fluoride on the activity of some hydrolytic and oxidative enzymes in the kidney, liver and nervous system. Daily water intake by individual animals was measured over the final 10 months of the animals exposure to 0,1 and 5 ppm fluoride. Water consumption was considerably higher in the animals on higher fluoride intake. Whereas the nervous system remained totally unaffected by this experimental procedure, the liver showed a slightly enhanced activity of Krebs citric acid cycle enzymes. The kidneys, however, showed significant cytochemical changes, especially in the animals on 5 ppm fluoride intake in their drinking water. In these animals, the glomeruli showed an increase in the activity of acid phosphatase and the enzymes belonging to the citric acid cycle and the pentose shunt, whereas lactate dehydrogenase, a representative of the anaerobic glycolytic pathway, remained unchanged or only slightly changed. These observations suggest that fluoride in concentrations as low as 5 ppm interferes to some extent with the intracellular metabolism of the excretory system.

Enzyme histochemistry of the choroid plexus in rat and squirrel monkey

SummaryThe reactions given for various oxidative and hydrolytic enzymes by the choroid plexus of the squirrel monkey and the rat brain have been studied in detail. The lining cells show strong activity for citric acid cycle and glycolytic pathways enzymes. The stroma shows strong activity for adenosine triphosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, adenosine monophosphatase and glucose-6-phosphatase. The peripheral part or luminal borders of the cytoplasm of the choroidal cells show strong activity for alkaline phosphatase, adenosine monophosphatase and adenosine triphosphatase, and a well developed thiamine pyrophosphatase positive Golgi complex, indicating their participation in the formation and transport of secretory material. The nucleoli of the lining cells give a positive reaction for glucose-6-phosphatase and adenosine triphosphatase. Acid phosphatase like the thiamine pyrophosphatase positive Golgi material is found all over the cytoplasm. The functional significance of these findings is briefly discussed.

Histochemical distribution of alkaline and acid phosphatase and adenosine triphosphatase in the brain of squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus)

SummaryThe distribution of some phosphatases (alkaline and acid phosphatase and ATPase) have been studied on 15 μ thick fresh frozen serial sections in the various regions and nuclei of the squirrel monkey brain. The alkaline phosphatase activity is concentrated in the blood vessels and the peripheral part of the neurons of some nuclei (e.g., nucleus supraoptic hypothalami) and the lining cells of choroid plexus. Acid phosphatase (AC) is a cellular enzyme and is concentrated in the large neurons of nuclei basalis Meynert, diagonalis band of Broca, magnocellular hypothalamic nuclei, corpus mammillaris, large sized neurons of the thalamus (e.g., nuclei paracentralis, ventralis lateralis, ventralis posterior thalami, magnocellular part of corpus geniculatum laterale), motor neurons of cranial nerve nuclei, large neurons of the reticular formation, giant pyramidal cells of cerebral cortex and the Purkinje cells of cerebellar cortex. The AC activity does not show as much variation in the different areas of the brain as the oxidative enzymes, which may mean that AC is more related to static maintenance metabolism of cells than to dynamic functional metabolism. The ATPase activity is more pronounced in the neuropil and the blood vessels compared to the neurons. In the perikarya, ATPase is concentrated close to the cell membrane, which may be significant in molecular transport across the membrane as well as in impulse conduction and synaptic transmission. Significant ATPase activity has been observed in the nucleus caudatus and putamen, magnocellular hypothalamic nuclei, nuclei parataenialis, paraventricularis, paracentralis, ventralis anterior thalami, habenular complex and cranial nerve nuclei.

HISTOCHEMICAL MAPPING OF MONOAMINE OXIDASE AND LACTIC DEHYDROGENASE IN THE PONS AND MESENCEPHALON OF SQUIRREL MONKEY (SAIMIRI SCIUREUS)

The detailed distribution of lactate dehydrogenase and monoamine oxide has been described at various levels through the pons and mesencephalon of the brain of the squirrel monkey. A comparison of the two enzymes has given an interesting picture of their selective localization in the different nuclei. Particular attention has been paid to select sections at comparative levels. Marked monoamine oxidase activity has been observed in the nucleus interpeduncularis, the nucleus centralis superior, the nucleus annularis, and in the neuropil and in the cytoplasm of neurons of some other nuclei. Particularly strong lactate dehydrogenase activity has, however, been observed in the corpus geniculatum laterale and mediale, the nucleus pulvinaris, the superior and inferior colliculi, the substantia grisea centralis and some of the nuclei of cranial nerves.

Reversibility of lipofuscin accumulation caused by protein malnutrition in the motor cortex of squirrel monkeys, Saimiri scireus.

Lipofuscin pigment has been demonstrated histochemically in the motor cortex by the use of several histochemical and cytochemical methods in the healthy (maintained on a diet with 25% protein content) and protein malnourished (maintained on a diet with 2% protein content) adult animals. 4 animals in the latter category were rehabilitated over a period of 11 months and various histochemical techniques were repeated on the motor cortex of these animals. The healthy animals showed a somewhat uniform distribution of lipofuscin pigment in the neuronal perikarya with the perineuronal glia showing only slight occurrence of pigment bodies. The malnourished animals exhibited a significantly larger number of lipofuscin bodies in the neuronal as well as glial perikarya. The neurons, especially, showed aggregations of lipofuscin bodies characterized by a large increase in the activity of acid phosphatase and simple esterases. The rehabilitated animals, however, showed a decrease of lipofuscin pigment in the neuronal perikarya with a concomitant loss of lysosomal enzymes, while a significant increase of these bodies was observed in the perineuronal glial cells. It is evident that the formation of lipofuscin pigment gets accelerated under the extrinsic influence of dietary protein deprivation in the adult animals, but the process is reversed at least to some extent by halting the dietary deficiency or its correction by rehabilitation. The perineuronal glial cells appear to play a significant role in the removal of lipofuscin bodies from the neuronal perikarya. The significance of these observations has been discussed.

Histochemical mapping of succinic dehydrogenase and cytochrome oxidase in the spinal cord, medulla oblongata and cerebellum of squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus)

SummaryThe distribution of succinic dehydrogenase (SDA) and cytochrome oxidase (Cy. O) in serial sections of the cervical region of the spinal cord and the medulla oblongata, arranged caudo-cranially, has been described. The motor cranial nerve nuclei exhibit strong SDA and Cy. O activity in the neurons and neuropil. The nuclei gracilis, cuneatus, olivaris inferior, cochlearis and vestibularis likewise show strong enzyme activity. Nucleus intercalatus and nucleus tractus solitarius, however, show weak and moderate enzyme activity respectively. The lateral part of formatio reticularis myelencephali shows less SDA and Cy. O compared to the medial part, which shows some accumulation of these enzymes in the neuropil.The neuropil of the molecular layer of cerebellar cortex and the perikarya and dendrites of the Purkinje cells show strong SDA and Cy. O activity. The granular layer exhibits stronger SDA and Cy. O in the synaptic glomeruli. The cerebellar nuclei possess stronger enzyme activity in the neurons and dendritic branches, compared to mild activity in the neuropil.

The mosaic composition of the DNA content of the epidermal carcinomas of man

Der DNS-Gehalt verschiedener Neubildungen der Epidermis, die klinisch als senile Keratose, Carcinoma in situ und Plattenepithelcarcinom diagnostiziert waren, wurde mikrospektrophotometrisch mit der 2-Wellenlängen-Methode von Patau gemessen. Außerdem wurden noch als Kontrollen Zellkerne in Metaphase und Interphase von einigen heilenden Geschwüren in derselben Weise untersucht. Metaphasenkerne wurden für die Messung bevorzugt, hauptsächlich deswegen, weil die Werte in diesem Stadium nicht durch eine in Gang befindliche DNS-Synthese verzerrt sind. Der DNS-Gehalt der Zellen in den Fällen von seniler Keratose entspricht dem diploiden Wert. Die Fälle von Carcinoma in situ zeigen einen verschiedenen Grad von mosaikartigen Werten, die von diploid-bis 16-diploid reichen und so darauf hinweisen, daß in dem gleichen Tumor mehrere anenploide Zelltypen Seite an Seite wachsen. Die durchwegs invasiv wachsenden Plattenepithelcarcinome zeigen in den meisten Fällen eine hyperdiploide oder hypertetraploide Stammlinie. Die Angaben werden diskutiert im Hinblick darauf, ob es möglich ist, diese Technik als Routinemethode für die klinische Diagnostik einzusetzen. The Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) content of various epidermal carcinomas recognized clinically as senile Keratosis, In Situ carcinomas, and squamous cell carcinomas, was measured microspectrophotometrically by the two wave length method of Patau. In addition, metaphase and interphase nuclei of a few healing ulcers were measured to serve as controls. The metaphase nuclei were preferred for these measurements mainly because of the lack of any interference due to DNA synthesis at this stage of the cell cycle. The DNA value of the cells in various cases of senile Keratosis always falls in the diploid range. The In Situ carcinomas show a variable degree of mosaic composition ranging from diploid to sixteen ploid, suggesting that there are several aneuploid cell types growing side by side in the same tumor bed. Squamous cell carcinomas, which are invariably invasive, in most cases belong to a hyper-diploid or hyper-tetraploid stem line. The data has been discussed with a view to determine the feasibility of using this technique as a routine method for clinical diagnosis.

Physical growth and brain development of captive-bred male and female squirrel monkeys,Saimiri sciureus

The physical growth and brain development of the captive bred male and female squirrel monkeys have shown that the male grows at a significantly faster rate with respect to these parameters in the postnatal life, starting from preweaning stage as compared to the female infant. During the prenatal life the male and the female fetuses grow at similar rates and show comparable brain development as indicated by its weight.

Experimental protein malnutrition in primates: Cytochemical studies on the cerebellum of the squirrel monkey,Saimiri Sciureus

SynopsisThe cerebellum of healthy and malnourished squirrel monkeys was studied histopathologically and cytochemically for a number of important enzymes such as phosphatases (acid and alkaline phosphatase, ATPase, thiamine pyrophosphatase), esterases (simple esterase and acetylcholinesterase), dehydrogenases (succinate, malate and isocitrate dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase), monoamine oxidase and phosphorylase. The Purkinje cells, stellate and basket cells were found to be more sensitive to protein malnutrition compared to the other types of cells in the cerebellum. An increase in the number of ‘dark cells’ with large amounts of ribonucleoprotein complex in the Purkinje cell layer of the extremely malnourished animals sacrificed after 15 weeks on a low protein diet may be significant and may reflect either an abnormal metabolic process or an interruption in the axonal transport of RNA complex. This may also be directly related to a significant reduction in the level of oxidative enzymes, especially those of the tricarboxylic acid cycle, these being the main source of energy stored in ATP. At the same time the level of lysosomal enzymes, which are responsible for the catalysis of the different degradation reactions, is greatly increased and indicates cellular catabolism. The present investigations point to the probability that the neurons adapt to the changed environment by beginning to utilize structural proteins for their basic metabolism.