A Primer in Neurological Staining Procedures

153 This volume of a seemingly endless series consists of two reviews which were omitted from two earlier volumes. The first review is authored by J. M. Lowenstein and concerns the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex and the citric acid cycle. This review suffers from a restricted scope and a change in emphasis midway through the manuscript. Although the title of the volume promises a discussion of pyruvate metabolism, Lowenstein limits his subject matter concerning pyruvate metabolism to the enzymology and regulation of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. Pyruvate oxidase is not discussed nor are the interesting genetic and physiological experiments of Henning on the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. Lowenstein then exhaustively describes the intracellular compartmentalization of the citric acid cycle. Unfortunately , the author does not choose to discuss the enzymology and regulation of the citric acid cycle. This was the sole standpoint from which pyruvate metabolism was reviewed. This complete change of emphasis between the two sections of the review flaws the presentation badly. The second review by S. J. Wakil and E. M. Barnes, Jr. is an authoritative and thorough review of the field of fatty acid metabolism. Unfortunately no lack of reviews on this subject currently exists (four, including one by Wakil have appeared within the last few months). Wakil and Barnes discuss the enzymology and control of both the oxidative and synthetic pathways in a congent and interesting manner. In summary, the contribution of Lowenstein is not likely to be useful to individuals other than those concerned with mitochondrial compartmentalization. The review by Wakil and Barnes should be most useful to those students and workers in ancillary fields. Due to the recent proliferation of reviews on fatty acid metabolism the contribution of Wakil and Barnes will probably be of little use to workers in the field of lipid metabolism. This little book is intended to help beginners in neurohistology learn basic techniques applicable to the nervous system. Presumably, the beginners whom the authors have in mind are somewhat familiar with general histological techniques, but have only a dim idea of where they are going. This is an encouraging cookbook, rather informal and chatty, giving recipes for standard nervous system stains, e.g., standard variations of Nissl, Weil, Golgi stains, and so on, and advice about what to do if the stains don't work out. The authors describe their methods of perfusion, embedding, mounting, and sectioning, as well as staining. In …