Effect of axotomy on cholinergic enzyme activities in the spinal cord and sciatic nerve of the dog.

Choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity measured in the ventral and dorsal part of the dog spinal cord (L6-S2) and in the stumps of the sciatic nerve 5, 10, 15 and 21 days after its transection were compared with the corresponding activities in the intact contralateral nerve and in sham-operated animals. AChE was also examined histochemically. Changes in the enzyme activities in the central nerve stump were correlated with activity changes in the spinal cord. In the central nerve stump, a marked (25%) increase in AChE activity was found on the fifth day after transection, but by the 21st day it fell below control value levels; up to the 15th day it showed good correlation with AChE activity in the ventral spinal cord. Histochemically, pronounced reduction of enzymatic activity was found in the ipsilateral part of the spinal cord. On the 15th day, ChAT activity in the ventral spinal cord was also significantly decreased and the accumulation of the enzyme in the central nerve stump was negligible. On the contrary, at the last 21-day interval examined, a significant increase in ChAT activity and a nonsignificant increase in AChE activity was found in the spinal cord, but their activities in the central nerve stump were decreased. In the degenerated peripheral nerve stump ChAT activity dropped by an average of 99% and AChE activity by 48% during the first 15 days after transection but, on the 21st day, AChE activity was 22% higher than at the preceding interval.