Activities of choline acetyltransferase and acetyicholinesterase were measured in samples dissected from freeze-dried sections of cat cochlear nuclei and the immediate surroundings. Refined methods of sampling and record-keeping were systematically applied at the histologic level. Selected sections were studied for nine cochlear nuclei, and a more complete threedimensional map of enzyme distrib...

The effects of nerve growth factor beta (beta-NGF) and ganglioside GM1 on forebrain cholinergic neurons were examined in vivo and in vitro. Following unilateral decortication of rats, GM1 (5 mg/kg per day) administered intracerebroventricularly could protect forebrain cholinergic neurons of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis from retrograde degeneration in a manner comparable to beta-NGF. Admi...

The choice of which neurotransmitters will be produced by a developing neuron is influenced by the microenvironment of the neuron. In this study we show that neuronal contact with membrane-associated molecules promotes expression of peptidergic and cholinergic traits. Treatment of cultured neonatal rat sympathetic neurons with plasma membranes derived from adult rat spinal cord or sympathetic g...

Some of the kinetic properties of carnitine acetyltransferase in brain homogenates have been reported with the use of a new, sensitive radiometric method for the determination of acetylcarnitine. Those properties and the distribution pattern of carnitine acetyltransferase in various rat tissues, subcellular fractions, and discrete areas of the brain have been compared with those obtained for ch...

BACKGROUND CXCL12 is pivotal for cholinergic neurons, and it induces the expressions of several genes that are essential for synthesis and storage of acetylcholine(ACh), specifically choline acetyltransferase, vesicular ACh transporter (VAChT), and choline transporter. The present study explored the impact of pharmacological Akt inhibition upon cholinergic gene expression. METHODS Western blo...

The substrate specificity of choline acetyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.6) isolated from squid ganglia was investigated. The enzyme catalyzed the acetylation of choline and aminocholine but not of homocholine. In D(2)O solution there was considerable slowing of the transacetylation reaction. Photo-oxidation in the presence of methylene blue or rose bengal rapidly inactivated the enzyme, suggesting inv...

The localization, purification, and some enzymatic properties of choline acetyltransferase from rat brain were studied. Most assays were performed with a specific radiometric micromethod. Solubilization of the enzyme was examined after homogenization of cerebral cortices by means which disintegrate nerve endings. In isotonic KC1 the enzyme was recovered in solution. In more dilute KC1 the enzym...

The effect of adrenalectomy on the level of nerve growth factor (NGF) in the hippocampus and on the distribution of choline acetyltransferase immunoreactivity in forebrain cholinergic neurons of developing rats was studied. Biological and immunohistochemical determinations indicated that in 40-day-old rats, adrenalectomy reduced the NGF level in the hippocampus and the choline acetyltransferase...

We studied the effects of oral administration of RU38486, a potent and selective glucocorticoid antagonist, on muscle weight, non-collagen protein content, and selected enzyme activities (choline acetyltransferase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, and glutamine synthetase) following denervation of rat skeletal muscle. Neither decreases in muscle weight, protein content, and choline acetyltran...