Количественные изменения ферритинсодержащей глии в структурах черного вещества головного мозга при старении и болезни Паркинсона

Abstract

Introduction. Iron accumulates in the substantia nigra (SN) in aging and Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, there is a distinct lack of information about the changes in the metabolism of ferritin–an iron-binding protein in nigral cells–in aging and PD. The aim of the study was to quantify the changes in the number of H- and L-ferritin glia in the SN structures in aging and PD. Materials and methods. We examined autopsies of PD patients (5 cases), mature and elderly people (6 cases), as well as senile people (5 cases). Immunohistochemistry and light microscopy were used to study the location of H- and L-ferritin chains in the SN structures. The density of H– and L–ferritin-containing neuroglia was determined with computer morphometry. Results. In all cases, ferritin was accumulated predominantly in the reticular part of the SN in unpigmented neurons and neuroglial cells. The density of H– and L–ferritin-containing neuroglia in the SN of PD patients and senile people was significantly higher compared to that in mature and elderly people. The same differences between the groups of PD patients and elderly people were found only for the density of H–ferritin-containing neuroglia. Conclusion. The differences revealed between the age groups in the density of H– and L–ferritin-containing neuroglia characterize their increase with age and correspond to the accumulation of iron in the SN during aging. The differences revealed with the same parameters between patients with PD and mature, elderly, and senile patients characterize the imbalance of iron accumulation and oxidation processes in ferritin-containing glial cells of patients with PD. Keywords: aging, Parkinson’s disease, substantia nigra, immunohistochemistry, morphometric, ferritin, neuroglia