ISSN:
1471-4159
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Developmental changes in pyruvate kinase (PK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), α-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase (α-GPD), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6P), succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), choline acetyltransferase (CAT), glutamate decarboxylase (GAD), activities were measured in early autopsy material in the following areas of human neocortex: area 4 (motor cortex), area 17 (visual cortex), area 40 (gyrus supramarginalis, associative cortex). Changes with age were analysed from 8 fetal weeks to adult age. The important points emerging from this study are: 1. Enzymes associated with glycolytic pathways show a high activity in early fetal period, decline through to the end of the active phase of neurogenesis and then, rise continuously to the end of the first year of life. 2. G6P, an enzyme associated with the oxidative segment of the pentose phosphate pathway, shows a high activity at 8 fetal weeks and, gradually declines through to the end of the active phase of neurogenesis; it then either does not change significantly (motor cortex) or increases slightly. 3. Enzymes related to the tricarboxylic pathway have a low level of activity throughout the first half of gestation, and then rise markedly during the last fetal months and the first year after birth. SDH increase is of much higher magnitude (× 10) than that observed for glycolytic enzymes (×4). For the enzymes of oxidative metabolism, motor cortex is the most advanced area, while associative cortex matures more slowly. 4. CAT activity at 8 fetal weeks is high in visual cortex and declines to the fifth month. After that time, there is a continuous rise until the age of 11 years. Although the time pattern in reaching the adult value is different in motor and associative cortex, there exists a continuous increase from fetal onset to adult level in both areas. Developmental changes in GAD activity are very unusual. The development of activity lags behind that of CAT and commences after birth. After a steady rise in the first year of life, the activity decreases after this age.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-4159.1979.tb00367.x
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