Abstract
Diphosphopyridine nucleotide diaphorase, succinic dehydrogenase, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase were studied on the interfascicular neuroglia and the nerve fiber of the optic nerve after enucleating the eye ball.
1. The dehydrogenase activity of the glial cell was generally stronger than that of nerve fiber with all substrates.
2. Increase of dehydrogenase activity was not found on the one week after enucleation.
3. The dehydrogenase reaction showed the greatest increase at two weeks. The morphological changes of interfascicular neuroglia (oligodendrocytes) consisted in the enlargement of the cells and delicate ramification of their processes.
4. The localization of enzymes in the glial cells was homogeneous throughout the cell bodies and their procceses in enucleated rats. In the guinea pigs hypertrophic interfascicular neuroglia (oligodendrocytes) were of slender or irregular shape and their processes were thick compared to the large oval or triangular shape in the rabbits. The distribution of enzyme activity outlined by the strong reaction appeared as granules in the perinuclear cytoplasm.
5. In the rats on the fourth week after the injury, large cells (perhaps spongioblast) gave an intense reaction with homogeneous formazan precipitates.
6. The large cells and surrounding interfascicular neuroglia (oligodendrocytes) contained strongly black positive granules of formazan in the degenerating nerve on the eighth week after injury. The response of the glial cells showed slight increase in all enzyme reactions.
