Granule cells and the development of synapses with mossy fibres in the cerebellum of the jaundiced Gunn rat.

Abstract

The development of granule cells and the formation of synapses with mossy fibres were investigated in cerebella from jaundiced (j/j) Gunn rats with hereditary hyperbilirubinemia. The external granular layer was thinner than that in cerebella from heterozygous (+/j) Gunn rats without hyperbilirubinemia on days 12 and 15 after birth, and it had disappeared in places by day 18. Migrating granule cells decreased in number from days 12 to 18. In the internal granular layer, the paucity of granule cells became apparent on day 12 and a reduction in the number of cells was prominent from day 18 onward. More degenerating cells were found in j/j cerebella than in +/j cerebella on days 12 and 15. Mossy fibre-granule cell synapses (glomeruli) were immature in appearance in j/j and +/j cerebella from days 7 to 12; small, roundish mossy fibre terminals were in contact with a few dendrites of granule cells. After day 18, the glomeruli were mature in terms of shape in +/j cerebella. By contrast, the mossy terminals remained small and roundish, and the granule cell dendrites that surrounded the mossy terminals did not increase in number nor develop digitiform branches in j/j cerebella. The mossy terminals were partially surrounded by glial processes and were occasionally surrounded by large dendrites of Golgi cells, which made multiple synaptic contacts. Some degenerating mossy terminals were present from days 18 to 30. These anomalous glomeruli may be caused by insufficient synaptic contacts with granule cells.