Quantitative Histopathological Study of Aging of the Neurons in the Locus Ceruleus of the Human Brain

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This study dealt with the influence of age on the pigmented neurons of locus ceruleus. The brains of 13 males aged from 20 to 70 years, who died of non-neurological nor psychiatric disorders, were subjected to this study. In addition to these subjects, we investigated two cases of sporadic Alzheimer's disease. All brains were fixed in 10% formalin. From the paraffin-embedded blocks which included the locus ceruleus, at least 1000 serial sections, 10 mum thick, were cut. Nissl stain was carried out on one in every 50 sections ; K-B,HE,Bodian and GFAP stains were done on one in every 100 sections. Only the cell which had a nucleolus were counted. At the same time, the area of these neuronal cell bodies was measured by the Nikon Cosmozone Planimeter. The results were as follows ;1.There was a peak in number of neurons near the caudal end of the locus ceruleus.2.The number of cells at this peak decreased after the age of 60.3.The area occupied by the pigmented neurons showed a tendency to decrease after the mid-sixties.4.The Lewy bodies and neurofibrillary tangles were encounted in the neurons of the locus ceruleus in cases after the mid-sixties.5.In two cases of sporadic Alzheimer's disease, apparent neuronal loss was observed in the locus ceruleus compared with normal aged subjects.6.In the hippocampal formaton, neuron of the entorhinal cortex and CA1 region was lost. In the amygdala, neuronal loss was observed in the basolateral subnucleus.We have investigated the morphological chages of the hippocamus in two cases of familial Alzheimer's disease.