Durkin T, Ayad G, Ebel A, Mandel P
Brain Res. 1977 Nov 18;136(3):475-86. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(77)90072-5.
The hypothesis that the genetically determined behavioural differences which exist between the inbred mouse strains Balb/c, DBA/2 and C57Bl/6 may be related to differences in acetylcholine metabolism in certain regions of the brain has been tested. In vivo ACh turnover rates have been measured in three regions (hippocampus, caudate nucleus and frontal-parietal cortex) of the brains of each strain by following the rate of formation of labelled ACh, in these regions, after a pulse intravenous injection of a tracer dose of 3H labelled choline. Focused microwave procedures were used for the rapid fixation of brain tissue and Ch and ACh radioactivities were determined following their electrophoretic separation. Steady-state concentrations of Ch and ACh were measured by a sensitive radio-enzymatic method. Significant interstrain differences in ACh turnover rates are reported for each of the brain regions studied with the order of metabolic activity being Balb/c greater than DBA/2 greater than C57 Bl/6 in each case. These results are interpreted as being in agreement with previous reports on correlations between learning ability or locomotor activity and regional activities of choline acetyltransferase in the brains of these inbred strains. The correlations between the in vivo ACh turnover rates and (1) interstrain differences in behavioural measures and (2) regional choline acetyltransferase activities are discussed.
近交系小鼠品系Balb/c、DBA/2和C57Bl/6之间存在的由基因决定的行为差异可能与大脑某些区域乙酰胆碱代谢差异有关这一假说已得到验证。通过在静脉注射示踪剂量的3H标记胆碱后，追踪这些区域中标记乙酰胆碱的形成速率，测定了每个品系大脑三个区域（海马体、尾状核和额顶叶皮质）的体内乙酰胆碱周转率。采用聚焦微波程序快速固定脑组织，并在电泳分离后测定胆碱和乙酰胆碱的放射性。通过灵敏的放射酶法测量胆碱和乙酰胆碱的稳态浓度。在所研究的每个脑区中，均报告了品系间乙酰胆碱周转率存在显著差异，每种情况下的代谢活性顺序均为Balb/c大于DBA/2大于C57Bl/6。这些结果被解释为与先前关于这些近交系小鼠大脑中学习能力或运动活动与胆碱乙酰转移酶区域活性之间相关性的报道一致。讨论了体内乙酰胆碱周转率与（1）行为测量中的品系间差异和（2）区域胆碱乙酰转移酶活性之间的相关性。
