THE EFFECT OF HYPOGLYCEMIA AND AGE ON THE GLYCOGEN CONTENT OF THE VARIOUS PARTS OF THE FELINE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM

Abstract

The concns. of glycogen in various parts of the C. N. S. of newborn and 61/2 wk. old kittens subjected to intense hypoglycemia were detd. It was found, in general, that in the newborn animal the more caudal parts showed the greater fall in concn.: the spinal cord was depleted most, followed in order by the cerebellum, medulla, thalamus and corpora quadrigemina, while the cerebral cortex showed the smallest decrease. In the 5-8 wk. old kittens, the higher parts exhibited a greater decrease. The glycogen in the cerebral cortex was depleted to the greatest extent, followed by the corpora quadrigemina and thalamus, while the concns. in the cerebellum, medulla oblongata and cord were not changed significantly during hypoglycemia. The higher areas suffer smaller impairments than in the adult, while the phyletically older regions were not depleted, and in this way differ from the newborn.