TY - JOUR
T1 - Direct comparison of the rapid axonal transport of norepinephrine and dopamine‐β‐hydroxylase activity
AU - Brimijoin, Stephen
AU - Wiermaa, Mary Jo
PY - 1977/5
Y1 - 1977/5
N2 - Stop‐flow techniques were used to examine the rapid axonal transport of norepinephrine in rabbit sciatic nerves. When the midpoint of a nerve incubated in vitro was cooled to 2°C while the remainder was kept at 37°C, norepinephrine accumulated proximal to the cooled region at a rate corresponding to an average transport velocity between 5 and 6 mm/hr in a distal direction. Since only about half of the norepinephrine appeared to be free to move, the mean velocity of the moving fraction was probably twice as great. No norepinephrine accumulated distal to a broad cooled region under conditions in which there would have been a significant accumulation of dopamine‐β‐hydroxylase activity. Therefore, unlike dopamine‐β‐hydroxylase, norepinephrine may not be subject to rapid retrograde transport. When nerves that had been locally cooled for 1.5 hr were rewarmed uniformly to 37°C, a wave of norepinephrine moved exclusively in a distal direction. The peak of this wave moved at a velocity of 12.2 ± 0.5 mm/hr or 293 ± 12 mm/day; the front of the wave moved at about 18 mm/hr. or 430 mm/day; and the tail probably moved faster than 6 mm/hr. This spectrum of velocities was virtually identical to the one displayed by the wave of dopamine‐β‐hydroxylase activity that was generated under the same conditions. Our results are consistent with the conclusion that all axonal structures containing norepinephrine also contain dopamine‐β‐hydroxylase, but they are not consistent with the converse.
AB - Stop‐flow techniques were used to examine the rapid axonal transport of norepinephrine in rabbit sciatic nerves. When the midpoint of a nerve incubated in vitro was cooled to 2°C while the remainder was kept at 37°C, norepinephrine accumulated proximal to the cooled region at a rate corresponding to an average transport velocity between 5 and 6 mm/hr in a distal direction. Since only about half of the norepinephrine appeared to be free to move, the mean velocity of the moving fraction was probably twice as great. No norepinephrine accumulated distal to a broad cooled region under conditions in which there would have been a significant accumulation of dopamine‐β‐hydroxylase activity. Therefore, unlike dopamine‐β‐hydroxylase, norepinephrine may not be subject to rapid retrograde transport. When nerves that had been locally cooled for 1.5 hr were rewarmed uniformly to 37°C, a wave of norepinephrine moved exclusively in a distal direction. The peak of this wave moved at a velocity of 12.2 ± 0.5 mm/hr or 293 ± 12 mm/day; the front of the wave moved at about 18 mm/hr. or 430 mm/day; and the tail probably moved faster than 6 mm/hr. This spectrum of velocities was virtually identical to the one displayed by the wave of dopamine‐β‐hydroxylase activity that was generated under the same conditions. Our results are consistent with the conclusion that all axonal structures containing norepinephrine also contain dopamine‐β‐hydroxylase, but they are not consistent with the converse.
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U2 - 10.1002/neu.480080307
DO - 10.1002/neu.480080307
M3 - Article
C2 - 69015
AN - SCOPUS:0017641152
SN - 0022-3034
VL - 8
SP - 239
EP - 250
JO - Journal of Neurobiology
JF - Journal of Neurobiology
IS - 3
ER -