Rafael Coveñas, Arturo Mangas, Dominique Bodet, Sebastien Duleu, Pilar Marcos and Michel Geffard
Institute of Neurosciences of Castilla y León (INCYL), Salamanca, Spain, and others

Series: Animal Science, Issues and Research, Neurology – Laboratory and Clinical Research Developments
BISAC: SCI070000

In general, the metabolic roles played by vitamins are well known, but to date less is known about the anatomical localization of these substances in the mammalian brain. Using a highly specific antiserum directed against vitamin C, the distribution of vitamin C-immunoreactive structures in the monkey (Macaca fascicularis) brain was studied. Antibody avidity and specificity were checked using the ELISA method, and it was estimated that antibody avidity (IC50) was 10-7 M for anti-conjugated ascorbic acid antibodies.

Thus, using an immunoperoxidase technique that increases the immunohistochemical reaction product, no immunoreactive fibers containing vitamin C were found in the monkey brain, but a moderate density of vitamin C-immunoreactive cell bodies was observed in the primary somatosensory cortex (postcentral gyrus). (Imprint: Nova Biomedical)