The effect of vincristine on enzymatic activity in the brain.

Adult Wistar rats of either sex were treated intraperitoneally on alternate days with 0.0015 mg of Vincristin over a period of 24 days, and their brains examined with respect to histoenzymatic activity. It has been found that the adopted treatment resulted in a drop of the cerebral AChE, alkP, acP and ATPase activities. The activity of NsE was depressed in some regions of the brain, whereas in others an enhancement of NsE activity was found. TPPase activity appeared to increase following treatment with Vincristin. The observed differential reaction of NsE to Vincristin treatment could be indicative of an existence of multiple isoenzymes of carbocylesterases in the brain. The moderate intensity of changes in the enzymatic activity of the experimental brains evoked by the treatment of rats with Vincristin makes it feasible to assume that after cessation of the treatment the original enzymatic activity of the brain will be restored.