The role of glial antigens and pathophysiological disorders induced by them, were investigated. As an approach for obtaining glial tissue samples, the process of retrograde and transneuronal degeneration of visual neurons in the Lateral Geniculate Nucleus (LGN) of the brain of Rhesus monkeys was used. immunization of an other group of monkeys with the immunogen containing allogenic tissue of LGN, induced an experimental disease of slow and long-term evolution with manifest hypofunction of the thyroid gland. Ouantitative determination of the contents of prealbumin, albumin, transferrin and total proteins was carried out in the liquor samples obtained by suboccipital puncture before and after immunization the animals. In contrast to the concentration of albumin, transferrin and total proteins, it was found that there was a statistically significant increase of the prealbumin content in the liquor, This may point to more than one origin for this protein.

Acute monophasic experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (AMEAE) was induced in 5 Macacus cynomolgus monkeys. Serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) paired samples were collected before and four weeks after immunization, time of complete development of AMEAE clinical picture. After immunization the CSF/serum albumin ratio and the IgG index were markedly increased. Agarose isoelectric focusing (AIEF) followed by immunofixation revealed faint IgG oligoclonal bands in both serum and CSF of all monkeys, which became more evident after Kappa and Lambda assessment. Intrathecal synthesis of IgG oligoclonal bands was detected in only one CSF. Affinity-driven immunoblotting failed to detect anti-myelin basic protein (MBP) oligoclonal IgG. No free light chain (FLC) patterns or IgA and IgM oligoclonal bands were detected.

Monkeys (Macaca mulatta) of both sexes repeatedly immunized with a complex of glial antigens of the homologous brain demonstrated abnormalities of hormonal functions after 1 to 5 weeks. These abnormalities were marked by a decrease in the total serum tyroxine (after 1 week) and a rise in the concentration of 11-hydroxycorticosteroids (11-OHCS) that occurred after 5 weeks. The changes in tyroxine level were more stable than those in the concentration of 11-OHCS. The immunized animals manifested changes in the disc electrophoregram of the serum. Application of stress resulted in a consistent elevation of the concentration of 11-OHCS and in temporary changes in the number and intensity of individual fractions of serum proteins. The fractional composition of serum proteins was different in control and experimental monkeys.

Effects of intracerebrally injected physiological solution, normal rabbit gammaglobulin and rabbit anti-monkey liver, anti-hippocampus and anti-caudate nucleus gamma-globulins on spontaneous and evoked electrical activity of hippocampus and caudate nucleus were investigated in rhesus monkeys.

AbstractThe concentrations of aspartic acid in various regions of the brain of European ground squirrels (Cilellus citellus), sacrificed at different stages of the hibernating cycle, have been estimated by means of two dimensional paper chromatography. On the basis of experimental results obtained the following conclusions have been derived:1. Similar concentrations of aspartic acid where found in different cortical and subcortical areas of the ground squirrel brain.2. In hibernation at rectal temperatures of 5° C, an important decrease of aspartic acid was found in all the regions studied.3. Inversely, arousal from hibernation was associated with an increase of aspartic acid levels, atteining at 35° C the control values in a majority of investigated regions.The possible explanations and significance of the results obtained have been briefly discussed.

Chez le spermophile, la teneur en glutamine et en acide glutamique cérébral au cours du réveil du sommeil hivernal était inchangée. Pendant le réchauffement des animaux refroidis, la glutamine et GABA étaient remarquablement élevés.

On étudie ici la teneur en glutamine, en acide glutamique et en GABA dans des différentes parties du cerveau chez le Spermophile en sommeil hivernal profond et après le réveil de l'hibernation. Les changements les plus remarquables de l'acide glutamique et du GABA ont été constatés dans les structures sous-corticales regardées comme essentielles pour la régulation de ces processus physiologiques coordonnés.