Abnormalities of Polyamine Biosynthesis in Spinal Cord of Totally Gastrectomized Rats

Abstract

Hematological and neurological sequelae are the two major manifestations in man of Addisonian pernicious anemia (PA)¹. The degree of central nervous system (CNS) damage is not always well correlated with the severity of the anemia and therefore, the neurological disease in PA is not secondary to the anemia². The neurological illness in PA chiefly affects the white matter of the dorsal and lateral columns of the spinal cord (SC) in man and can be reproduced experimentally in other mammals^{3, 4}. It is generally considered that the major neuropathological feature in PA is an uneven and severe “demyelination” (spongiform degeneration)^{3, 4} of SC. The first full description of this demyelinating neuropathy was given by Russell, Batten and Collier⁵ at the beginning of this century, who named it “subacute combined degeneration” (SCD) of the SC. This term, however, fails to encompass all aspects of the disease, because it does not clearly suggest involvement of peripheral nerves and brain. Although since then many other terms for this neurological disorder have been tentatively introduced, the initial term, i. e., SCD, is generally widely used by most authors and will be used here by us.

Wir fühlen dass selbst wenn alle möglichen wissenschaftlichen Fragen beantwortet sind, unsere Lebensprobleme noch gar nicht berührt sind. Freilich bleibt dann eben keine Frage mehr; und eben dies ist die Antwort. We feel that even when all possible scientific questions have been answered, the problems of life remains completely untouched. of course there are then no questions left, and this itself is the answer. L. Wittgenstein, Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, 6.52.