ULTRACYTOCHEMICAL CHANGES IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF ACID PHOSPHATASE AND THIAMINE PYROPHOSPHATASE ACTIVITY IN THE NERVE CELLS OF THE CEREBRUM OF THIAMINE-DEFICIENT RATS

Abstract

Thiamine-deficient diet was given to male Donryu rats (ca. 100g.) and changes in acid phosphatase (ACPase) and thiamine pyrophosphatase (TPPase) activity were observed ultracytochemically in the nerve cells of the cerebral cortex up to 3 weeks after the onset of the experiment. The control rats (on normal diet containing thiamine) were also kept simultaneously.It was demonstrated by morphological preparations that the lysosomes were increased in number and enlarged in size in nerve cells as well as neuroglial cells of thiamine-deficient rats, and it was confirmed in the cytochemical preparations that these lysosomes possessed intense ACPase activity. Besides, many vacuolated lysosomes were also seen with ACPase activity indicating an increase in the lysosomal ACPase activity. In addition, the enzymatic distribution in the Golgi apparatus was also slightly increased. Overall increase in ACPase activity is thus noted in contrast to that of controls. Increase is related to autolysis. While TPPase activity revealed in the Golgi apparatus was inclined to decline in thiamine-deficient rat suggesting the decreased rate of thiamine metabolism.These enzymatic changes may be attributed to the early deficiency impairment of thiamine.