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

本研究探讨了年龄对蓝斑色素神经元的影响。研究人员选取了13名年龄在20至70岁之间、死于非神经或精神疾病的男性的大脑。除此之外，我们还调查了两例散发性阿尔茨海默病。所有脑均固定在10%福尔马林中。从包括蓝斑在内的石蜡包埋块中，至少切割了1000个连续切片，厚度为10 μ m。每50张切片1张进行尼氏染色；每100张切片1张进行K-B、HE、Bodian和GFAP染色。只计算有核仁的细胞。同时，用尼康Cosmozone Planimeter测量这些神经元细胞体的面积。实验结果如下：1.实验结果表明：在蓝斑尾端附近神经元数量最多。60.3岁后，该峰细胞数逐渐减少。60年代中期以后，色素神经元所占的面积呈下降趋势。在60年代中期以后的病例中，在蓝斑的神经元中发现了路易小体和神经原纤维缠结。在两例散发性阿尔茨海默病中，与正常老年人相比，在蓝斑区观察到明显的神经元丢失。海马形成时，内嗅皮层和CA1区神经元缺失。在杏仁核中，基底外侧亚核中观察到神经元丢失。我们研究了两例家族性阿尔茨海默病海马的形态学变化。

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.