Effect of ischemia on acetylcholinesterase activity and its molecular forms in the dog spinal cord, spinal ganglia and sciatic nerve

Abstract

Partial ischemia of the spinal cord was produced by the ligature of the abdominal aorta twice for 40 minutes with a 40 min. recirculation interval. At the end of the ischemic period acetylcholinesterase (AChE. EC 3.1.1.7) activity increased significantly in the lumbosacral part of the spinal cord but simultaneously decreased in the spinal ganglia; There was no significant change in the sciatic nerve. After 48 hours of recovery AChE activity returned to normal in the sacral part of the spinal cord and in the spinal ganglia, but a less expressive increase remained in the lumbal part. Electrophoretic separation of AChE on the polyacrylamide gel gave in intact control dogs: three or four molecular forms in the spinal cord, five in the spinal ganglia and two molecular forms in the sciatic nerve. Ischemia increased the relative content of the lower molecular forms and often a new low molecular form appeared.