The activity of oxidative enzymes,in neuroglia cultivated in vitro. II. Dehydrogenases linked with coenzyme II, a-glycerophos- phate dehydrogenase and isocitric dehydrogenase linked with coenzyme I.

A histochemical study was carried out on the activity of the dehydrogenases linked with coenzyme II (diaphorase of coenzyme II, isocitric and glucose-6-phosphatase dehydrogenase) and with coenzyme I (isocitric and alfa-glycerophosphatase dehydrogenase) in neuroglia cultivated in vitro.Glucose-6-phosphate ,alfa-glycerophosphate and isocitric dehydrogenase linked with coenzyme II showed the greatest intensity of the enzymatic reaction; less intensive reactions were obtained with isocitric dehydrogenase linked with coenzyme I; and least intensive with diaphorase of coenzyme II. Astrocytes were characterized by uniform distribution of the formazan granules in the cytoplasm and cel processes already in the earliest phases of growth of the cultures. In oligodendrocytes enzymatic activity appeared later and was localized only in the perinuclear zone of protoplasm at first, and after 10 —11days of growth in the processes. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity was the first to appear in the oligodendroglia, followed by the remaining dehydrogenase activities. The high activities of the studied dehydrogenases, which represent the enzymatic systems involved in the aerobic and anaerobic metabolism of glucose, indicate intensive metabolic processes in growing glial tissue, in contrast to the low level of metabolism in glial tissue in vivo.