Anomalous 2-deoxyglucose uptake and acetylcholinesterase activity in cat LGN after optic chiasm section.

Sectioning the optic chiasm in young kittens denervates layer A of the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) on both sides of the brain. We removed one eye of these split chiasm kittens in adulthood, rendering the ipsilateral LGN devoid of primary retinal input. Nonetheless, one day after the eye removal, consumption of 14C-2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) was much higher in layer A than in layer A1 of the LGN. The anomalous 2-DG uptake was not due to enhanced cortico-geniculate or other visual input to layer A, but instead appears related to a marked increase in acetylcholinesterase activity in this layer following the early chiasm section.