Acta neuropathologica
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Acta neuropathologica · Jan 1990
Axonal degeneration of ascending sensory neurons in gracile axonal dystrophy mutant mouse.
The distribution of axonal spheroids was examined in the central nervous system of gracile axonal dystrophy (GAD) mutant mice. Only few spheroids are observed in the gracile nucleus of the medulla in normal mice throughout the period examined, while they are first noted in GAD mice as early as 40 days after birth. The incidence of spheroids shifts from the gracile nucleus to the gracile fasciculus of the spinal cord with the progress of disease, suggesting that the degenerating axonal terminals of the dorsal ganglion cells back from the distal presynaptic parts in the gracile nucleus, along the tract of the gracile fasciculus, toward the cell bodies in the dorsal root ganglion. ⋯ In addition to the gracile nucleus and the gracile fasciculus, which is one of the main ascending tracts of primary sensory neurons, it was noted that the other primary sensory neurons joined with some of the second-order neurons at the dorsal horn and neurons at all levels of the dorsal nucleus (Clarke's column) are also severely affected in this mutant. The incidence of the dystrophic axons are further extended to the spinocerebellar tract and to particular parts of the white matter of the cerebellum, such as the inferior cerebellar peduncle and the lobules of I-III and VIII in the vermis. These results indicate that this mutant mouse is a potential animal model for human degenerative disease of the nervous system, such as neuroaxonal dystrophy and the spinocerebellar ataxia.
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Acta neuropathologica · Jan 1989
Case ReportsEvidence for sequential degeneration of the neurons in the intermediate zone of the spinal cord in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a topographic and quantitative investigation.
To elucidate the degenerating mechanism of the neurons in the intermediate zone of the spinal cord in classical amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the spinal neurons in a patient with ALS, whose muscular strength was fairly well preserved up to death, were examined quantitatively and topographically, and compared with the data of advanced ALS patients and age-matched control subjects reported previously. In advanced ALS patients, anterior horn cells completely disappeared and the medium-sized (nuclear area; 71-150 microns 2) and large (nuclear area; greater than 151 microns 2) neurons in the intermediate zone were severely reduced. In the present case, however, the loss of anterior horn cells was severe but the degree was not equal to that of advanced ALS patients, and the neurons in the intermediate zone were quite well preserved. The finding indicates that the primary degeneration may occur in the anterior horn cells and the neurons in the intermediate zone degenerate sequentially in the spinal gray matter in ALS.
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Acta neuropathologica · Jan 1988
Comparative StudyPathology of local anesthetic-induced nerve injury.
Nerve fiber injury and endoneurial edema were induced by the injection of the local anesthetic 2-chloroprocaine, tetracaine, procaine, etidocaine or mepivacaine into the soft tissue and fascia surrounding the sciatic nerve of Sprague-Dawley rats. Light microscopy demonstrated that the perineurial barrier was not mechanically damaged by the surgical procedure but, at 48 h post-injection, perineurial permeability was increased. Previous observations of leakage of horseradish peroxidase and the present report of neutrophils and eosinophils in the endoneurium indicate a disruption of blood-nerve barrier systems. ⋯ Axonal degeneration and demyelination occurred; the latter associated with accumulation of large lipid droplets in Schwann cells. Degranulation of mast cells, proliferation of fibroblasts and macrophage activity were noteworthy in affected areas. The findings are remarkable in that this is the first model of endoneurial edema by a neurotoxin which penetrates the perineurium, disrupting barrier system and inducing nerve fiber injury.
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Acta neuropathologica · Jan 1985
Case Reports[Case report on lipofibromatous hamartoma of the median nerve: neuropathologic report of 2 cases].
Report of two cases of lipofibromatous hamartoma of the median nerve in which the complete operative removal allowed a detailed neuropathologic examination. The nosologic and etiologic classification of this hamartomatous neuropathy and its possible relation to neurofibromatosis and hypertrophic neuritis are discussed.
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Acta neuropathologica · Jan 1980
Case ReportsProgressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy and malignant lymphoma of the brain in a patient with immunosuppressive therapy.
Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy and malignant lymphoma of the brain were noted at postmortem examination in a 68-year-old white woman who was treated with immunosuppressive agents after renal transplantation. The two diseases are not uncommon in patients with immunodeficiency, but their occurrence in the same patient is extremely rare. ⋯ However, no papovavirus was demonstrated in the tumor by electron microscopy and immunohistochemical staining. The immunohistochemical staining of routine histology sections for the common antigen of polyomaviruses by the peroxidase anti-peroxidase technique is shown to be simple and specific for the detection of polyomaviruses in the demyelinated areas of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy.