Metabolic and secretory processes in nerve-endings isolated from post-mortem brain.

Isolated nerve ending particles (synaptosomes) prepared from rat and human cerebral cortex, after varying conditions of post-mortem storage were shown to possess good structural and morphological integrity and metabolic activity. Respiration, potassium retention, lactate dehydrogenase content, and stimulus-induced release of transmitter candidate amino acids, as well as the neuropeptide somatostatin, were measured. These preparations from post-mortem material showed properties which were closely comparable with similar preparations from fresh material. The relevance of these findings to studies on human post-mortem material is discussed.