EVIDENCE FOR CHOLINERGIC NATURE OF COCKROACH GIANT FIBERS - USE OF SPECIFIC DEGENERATION

Following specific degeneration of giant fibers, ascertained electrophysiologically, up to 32% decrease of choline acetyltransferase (CAT) activity occurs in the cockroach abdominal ventral cord. A smaller decrease was found in the thoracic region, in accordance with morphological data on the relative contribution of giant fibers to the cord volume. The correlation between the decrease in CAT activity and degeneration indicates the cholinergic nature of the giant fibers. © 1978 Springer-Verlag.