抄録
The activity of cytochrome oxidase in photoreceptor inner segments of copper deficient rats was investigated by the diaminobenzidine method with electron microscopy. The deposits of reactive products resulting from oxidation in the mitochondrial intermembrane-intracristal space were measured in the computed image analyzer. Copper deficient rats showed neurological disorders and significantly low levels of serum copper throughout the experiment. The light microscopic findings showed that stainability for cytochrome oxidase in the retinal photoreceptor inner segment was less in the copper deficient rats than in the control rats. Ultrastructurally, DAB-OsO4 reaction products were diffusely located on the inner membranes and in the intracristal spaces of mitochondria in the control rats. Depositions of DAB in the copper deficient rats were insignificant and occupied a narrow area of the intracristal space, although the mitochondria showed no morphological changes. It was concluded that copper deficiency reduced cytochrome oxidase activity in the photoreceptor inner segments without morphological changes of the mitochondria.
