The immunocytochemical demonstration of copper-zinc superoxide dismutase in the brain.

Copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (CuZn-SOD) has been localized in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections of both canine and rat brains. Staining with an immunoenzyme bridge sequence revealed CuZn-SOD in all regions of the brains examined. Specific sites of localization included cerebral cortical pyramidal cells, cerebellar Purkinje cells, neurons in 'subcortical nuclei', and oligodendrocytes throughout the brain. Similar sites of CuZn-SOD localization were identified in both species. These results are compared with reports by various investigators of SOD bioactivity in the brain.