Regional distribution of sodium-potassium activated adenosine triphosphatase in the brain of the Rhesus monkey

Abstract— The activity of Na-K ATPase was determined in twenty-one regions of the Rhesus monkey brain. White matter contained the lowest activity. The highest activities were found in the cerebral cortex, cerebellar cortex, thalamus, and colliculi. The activities of the enzyme in gray matter were fairly regular in distribution with only a twofold difference between highest (occipital cortex) and lowest (globus pallidus). The possibility that the regional variation in the activity of the enzyme reflects differences in electrical activity and (or) the concentration of dendritic processes was discussed.