An analytical microdensitometer will be acquired to quantitatively measure a variety of reaction products visualized in microscopic sections of biological tissues. The machine is to be applied to a number of projects: 1) Changes in enzyme levels in ovarian cells as a result of exposure to tetrahydrocannabinol: 2) The process of degeneration in pericytes of diabetics; 3) Transmitter related enzymes in the central nervous system of monkeys; 4) The relationship of behavioral change to lesion-induced alterations in transmitter related enzymes in the central nervous system of monkeys; 5) Changes in the superior cervical ganglion as a result of exposure to testosterone or estradiol; and 6) Changes in the motor unit as a result of age or lesion. One of the exciting developments in instrumentation for biological research is the ability to couple microscopes to computers to allow easy quantitative analysis of microscopic images. All projects are critically dependent upon the densitometer as an investigative tool and will exploit the machine's ability to measure product on sections at various wavelengths with a great degree of accuracy and reproducibility. The availability of this instrument will allow several excellent investigators to greatly strengthen their research programs.
