THE QUANTITATIVE HISTOCHEMISTRY OF THE BRAIN V. ENZYMES OF GLUCOSE METABOLISM

Abstract

The importance of glucose for nervous function has long been recognized. This paper is a report of the histochemical distribution in certain parts of the brain of seven enzymes which are known to act upon hexose or hexose phosphates. The distribution of these seven enzymes might be expected to signify for each histological element the relative capacity and possible importance of four main channels of glucose utilization: (a) primary glucose esterification (hexokinase’), (b) glycogen metabolism (phosphorylase and phosphoglucomutase), (c) glucose metabolism via the Embden-Meyerhof system (phosphoglucoisomerase or isomerase, phosphofructokinase, and aldolase), and (d) oxidation via the “shunt” (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase).