Myelin from Human Peripheral Nerves QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE STUDIES IN TWO AGE GROUPS

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Abstract

Myelin in femoral nerve segments obtained at autopsy was isolated quantitatively by a series of discontinuous and continuous flotation procedures. The total amount of myelin isolated from these nerves was expressed as the sum of cholesterol, glycolipid, phospholipid, and protein and averaged 2.6±0.4 mg/g in a group aged 60-77 yr compared with 10.8±1.9 mg/g of nerve in a group aged 35-58 yr. The lower value in the older group remained apparent whether the myelin content was related to the whole nerve segment, its unit length or weight. This indicates that the decrease is an absolute one, not related to a change with aging in the nonmyelin content of nerve.

Authors

Norton Spritz, Harbhajan Singh, Barbara Geyer