[The peroxidase activity of rat cerebral hemisphere neurons during hypoxia training]

Peroxidase activity (PA) was studied in the rat's brain cortex during a 2 months training to hypoxia according to the Barbashova method. PA was investigated histochemically by an ammonium--molibdate--benzidine method on blocks of surviving brain tissue, thereafter they were studied by the contact microscopy. PA was also determined biochemically in water-salt extracts of the brain tissue. A progressive increase of PA in the course of training was shown by both the techniques. The increase of activity is accounted for by the growing quantity of neurons developing the reaction as well as by the growing intensity of reaction in each neuron. The nature of PA of neurons and its adaptive significance in hypoxic conditions is discussed.