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

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Young male Wistarking rats (ca. 100-120g.) were kept on a vitamin E-deficient diet for 4, 6, 9 and 13 weeks. Changes in acid phosphatase (ACPase) and thiamine pyrophosphatase (TPPase) activities were investigated at the ultrastructural level in the neurons of the cerebrum and spinal cord of these animals. A parallel observation on the controls was also made under identical conditions and results compared.
After 4 to 13 weeks of deficiency, ACPase activity in the Golgi apparatus increased, but the normal distribution of TPPase activity as seen in the controls and after 4 weeks of deficiency decreased at 6, 9 and 13 weeks. During 4 to 9 weeks periods of deficiency, there was no marked change in lysosomal morphology and their ACPase. At 13 weeks, however, lysosomes increased in size and number, with a significant decrease in ACPase activity.
An increase in ACPase activity in the Golgi apparatus may be related to its increased secretory activity, while a decrease in TPPase may indicate its decreased carbohydrate metabolism.
The decrease of ACPase activity in enlarged lysosomes of 13 weeks deficiency may be due to the following reasons; i) enzyme has been consumed in the process of changes in lipid components and/or ii) the release of enzyme in the cytoplasm because of damaged lysosomal membranes. The increase in lysosomal size may be due to polymerization of oxidized lipids.