Number Of Lipofuscin Granules Research Articles

Microglia-neuron interactions in the caudate nucleus in different course of schizophrenia

To study the ultrastructure of microglia and neurons in contact with each other in the head of the caudate nucleus in continuous schizophrenia (CS) and paroxysmal-progressive schizophrenia (PPS) as compared to controls and to analyze correlations between the parameters of microglia and neurons in the control and schizophrenia groups. Post-mortem electron microscopic morphometric study of microglia and neurons in contact with each other was performed in the head of the caudate nucleus in 9 cases of CS, 10 cases of PPS and 20 controls without mental pathology. Group comparisons were made using analysis of covariance and Pearson correlation analysis. The PPS group showed increased numerical density of microglia in young (≤50 years old) patients compared to elderly (>50 years old) controls and increased area of endoplasmic reticulum vacuoles in microglia in young patients compared to young controls. Decreased numerical density of microglia was found in the CS group compared to the PPS group (p<0.05), and increased volume fraction (Vv) and the number of lipofuscin granules in microglia were found in the CS group in elderly patients compared with young and elderly controls. In this group, negative correlations were revealed between the numerical density of microglia, microglia nuclear area and the duration of disease (r= -0.72, p=0.03; r= -0.8; p=0.01). Decreased Vv and the number of mitochondria in microglia and increased area and perimeter of neurons were revealed in both groups compared to the control group. In neurons, increased vacuole area was found in the PPS group and mitochondrial area in the NTS group compared to the control group. Correlation violations were found between the parameters of mitochondria in microglia and neurons in both PPS and CS groups and between the area of mitochondria in neurons and the area of vacuoles in microglia in the CS group compared to the control group. Disturbed interactions between microglia and neurons in the caudate nucleus are associated with the types of course of schizophrenia and with microglial reactivity. They might be caused by the damage of energy metabolism in microglia in both types of schizophrenia course and by stress of endoplasmic reticulum in microglia in CS.

Cilostazol attenuates oxidative stress and apoptosis in the quadriceps muscle of the dystrophic mouse experimental model.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is the most severe and frequent form of muscular dystrophy. The mdx mouse is one of the most widely used experimental models to understand aspects of the biology of dystrophic skeletal muscles and the mechanisms of DMD. Oxidative stress and apoptosis are present in early stages of the disease in mdx mice. The high production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) causes activation of apoptotic death regulatory proteins due to DNA damage and breakdown of nuclear and mitochondrial membranes. The quadriceps (QUA) muscle of the mdx mouse is a good tool to study oxidative events. Previous studies have demonstrated that cilostazol exerts an anti-oxidant effect by decreasing the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The present study aimed to evaluate the ability of cilostazol to modulate oxidative stress and apoptosis in the QUA muscle of mdx mice. Fourteen-day-old mdx mice received cilostazol or saline for 14 days. C57BL/10 mice were used as a control. In the QUA muscle of mdx mice, cilostazol treatment decreased ROS production (-74%), the number of lipofuscin granules (-47%), lipid peroxidation (-11%), and the number of apoptotic cells (-66%). Thus cilostazol showed anti-oxidant and anti-apoptotic action in the QUA muscle of mdx mice.

Ultrastructural pathology of oligodendrocytes in the white matter in continuous paranoid schizophrenia: a role for microglia

Previously the authors have reported the ultrastructural pathology and deficit of oligodendrocytes in gray and white matter of the prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia. The aim of the study was to determine of the effects of microglia on the ultrastructure of oligodendrocytes in the white matter underlying the prefrontal cortex in continuous schizophrenia. Postmortem morphometric electron microscopic study of oligodendrocytes in close apposition to microglia was performed in white matter underlying the prefrontal cortex (BA10). Eleven cases of chronic continuous schizophrenia and 11 normal controls were studied. Areas of oligodendrocytes, of their nuclei and cytoplasm, volume density (Vv) and the number of mitochondria, vacuoles of endoplasmic reticulum and lipofuscin granules were estimated. Group comparison was performed using ANCOVA. The schizophrenia group differed from the control group by paucity of ribosomes in the cytoplasm of oligodendrocytes, a significant decrease in Vv and the number of mitochondria and increase in the number of lipofuscin granules. Significant correlations between the parameters of lipofuscin granules, mitochondria and vacuoles were found only in the schizophrenia group. The number of lipofuscin granules were correlated positively with the illness duration. Dystrophic alterations of oligodendrocytes attached to microglial cells were found in the white matter of the prefrontal cortex in chronic paranoid schizophrenia as compared to controls. The data obtained suggest that microglia might contribute to abnormalities of energy, lipid and protein metabolism of oligodendrocytes in schizophrenia.

Photoperiod‐induced apoptosis in the male genital tract epithelia of the golden hamster

The aim of this study was to identify some details of the changes induced by a short-day light regime (8:16 light:dark) on the male genital tract and accessory sex glands of the golden hamster Mesocricetus auratus. We principally examined the presence of apoptotic cells in the epithelium from different regions of the epididymis, seminal vesicles, prostate and coagulating gland. We detected an increase in the percentage of apoptotic cells in situ using the TUNEL technique in animals that were maintained for 6, 8 or 12 weeks in a short photoperiod. That those cells were indeed undergoing apoptosis was confirmed by the immunodetection of the active fragment of caspase-3. The apoptotic indices in the different tissues analysed were low, but were maintained for weeks, suggesting cell loss at a steady rate. We tried to correlate these changes with the testosterone levels in serum as well as with the oxidative stress in the tissue. On the other hand, the increase in size and number of lipofuscin granules indicated the possibility that a parallel increase in oxidative stress occurred in the tissues. The normalization in the number of apoptotic cells and lipofuscin granules in animals treated with testosterone suggests that both phenomena might be related to changes in the hormone levels.

Lipofuscin as an indicator of age in crustaceans:analysis of the pigment in the American lobster Homarus americanus

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 138:117-123 (1996) - doi:10.3354/meps138117 Lipofuscin as an indicator of age in crustaceans: analysis of the pigment in the American lobster Homarus americanus Wahle RA, Tully O, O'Donovan V Lipofuscin content was determined in the brains of 41 American lobsters Homarus americanus (Milne-Edwards) aged 4, 13 and 27 mo reared individually at 19 to 20*C. Lipofuscin was quantified by fluorescence microscopy and image analysis. Lipofuscin granules occurred in each age group and in the oldest group appeared as large aggregations collectively averaging 2.1% of the area of histological sections of the olfactory lobe cell mass. Carapace length-corrected lipofuscin area % gave the highest correlation with age (r = 0.99, p &LT 0.0001) and a non-linear best fit regression (y = 0.00264 x Age2.03). The size and number of lipofuscin granules and carapace length were also significantly related to age. Lipofuscin concentration was not significantly correlated with carapace length within any of the 3 age classes (4 mo: r = -0.078, 13 mo: r = -0.20, 27 mo: r = -0.351). These results suggest the possibility that the lipofuscin technique can differentiate cohorts in natural populations. However, environmental temperature and the possibility of other factors affecting metabolic rate may need to be taken into account when attempting to apply the laboratory model to wild populations. Age determination . Age pigment . Physiological age . Image analysis . Fluorescence . Demography Full text in pdf format PreviousNextExport citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 138. Publication date: July 25, 1996 Print ISSN:0171-8630; Online ISSN:1616-1599 Copyright © 1996 Inter-Research.

INTERMITTENT ETHANOL EXPOSURE OF ADULT RATS: HIPPOCAMPAL CELL LOSS AFTER ONE MONTH OF TREATMENT

The effects of intermittent intraperitoneal ethanol exposure (3 g/kg body weight twice daily) on hippocampal cells of adult rats were examined after a 1-month exposure period. Continuous oral exposure to ethanol in the drinking water (20%) over the same time period was used for comparison. Pyramidal cells from the CA3 region and granule cells from the dentate gyrus were also qualitatively assessed using electron microscopy. One month of intermittent, peaking, exposure induced a significant loss of CA2-CA3 pyramidal cells and an increase in the number of lipofuscin granules in the remaining cells. A significant reduction in thickness of the dentate gyrus granule cell layer was also seen in the same animals. No significant reduction in pyramidal cell number or granule cell layer thickness was seen in continuously orally exposed animals in spite of a higher total ethanol intake. These studies thus demonstrate the harmful effect of intermittent high ethanol peaks and repeated withdrawal phases on hippocampal cells of the mammalian brain and emphasize the importance of considering the differential effects of different ethanol exposure patterns when assessing ethanol-induced cellular damage.

Lipofuscin and abnormalities in colloid in the equine thyroid gland in relation to age

Lipofuscin accumulation and other histological changes in thyroid tissue, previously reported to be age-related, were studied in 31 horses aged up to 35 years. The number of lipofuscin granules relative to thyrocytes increased from birth to 5 years of age. There was a wide individual variation in the number of lipofuscin granules in thyrocytes in mature horses, but this was not directly related to age. Several abnormalities were identified in thyroid colloid. The prevalence of spherites, lipofuscin granules, nucleated cells and shreds of colloid increased with age, but the prevalence of calcium oxalate crystals, erythrocytes, basophilic zones and solid fragments of colloid did not. In horses younger than 7 years, particularly large lipofuscin granules were found in thyrocytes of a small proportion of follicles which also contained abnormal colloid. Such follicles became more common in older horses without being accompanied by large lipofuscin granules. No correlation was found between granule numbers and frequency of colloid abnormalities. These results cast doubt on the traditional assumption that lipofuscin is indigestible cellular residue, since there was little evidence for excretion of granules. It is postulated that lipofuscin in this tissue may be a normal stage in lysosomal catabolism.

Histological Changes of Vestibular Nerves and Ganglion Cells in the Acoustic Tumor in Relation to Clinical Functions

The superior vestibular nerves and vestibular ganglion cells were observed electron microscopically in acoustic tumors removed surgically from 15 patients. Furthermore, the sensory cells of the vestibular organs were examined. Histological changes of vestibular nerves and ganglion cells were compared with the caloric responses of the patients. In most cases, the degree of degeneration of myelinated nerve fibers was proportional to the reduced responses of vestibular nerves. The myelinated nerve fibers decreased in number and showed some features of demyelination. The alteration of vestibular ganglion cells was unremarkable in comparison with vestibular nerves. In some cases, the number of lipofuscin granules, vacuolar organelles and amorphous materials markedly increased in the ganglion cells. However, the sensory cells of the vestibular organs appeared normal.

Response of human hepatocyte lysosomes to postmortem anoxia.

We studied the ultrastructure and degradative activity of lysosomes in human livers after somatic death due to cerebral necrosis secondary to shock and/or head trauma. The livers were obtained at autopsy after varying postmortem intervals. Liver ultrastructure was studied in intact liver, in hepatocyte suspension obtained by collagenase perfusion of the liver, and in cultured hepatocytes. Lysosomal protein degradation was measured in a case 24 hours after hepatocyte isolation. By standard ultrastructural criteria, all the livers demonstrated typical reversible manifestations of cell injury. Most hepatocytes demonstrated varying degrees of irreversible cell injury. The ultrastructural alterations were less severe in the isolated hepatocytes in suspensions, and further improvement in morphologic appearance occurred in the cultured monolayers. The most striking alteration in the liver lysosomes was the increase in the numbers of lipofuscin granules (a type of residual body) compared with control liver. The hepatocyte lysosomes constituted an average 3.1% of cytoplasmic volume. There was no correlation between the volume density of lysosomes and either the duration of postmortem anoxia, clinical course, or patient's age. There was no increase in the number of autophagic vacuoles or of secondary lysosomes in postmortem liver. Autophagic vacuoles were more frequently seen in isolated and cultured hepatocytes. Cultured hepatocytes isolated within one hour of clinical death and tested 24 hours later degraded cell proteins at a rate of 1.7% per hour. Protein degradation was stimulated by a physiologic signal (Dibutyryl cAMP, 1 mmol/L) and was inhibited by microtubule poison (vinblastine). We conclude that (1) viable hepatocytes can be isolated even after prolonged postmortem intervals (range, 30 minutes to seven hours), (2) trauma and shock cause an expansion of hepatocyte lysosomes due to accumulation of lipofuscin, and (3) autophagy is blocked by postmortem anoxia and resumes in the recovery phase from anoxic injury in hepatocyte suspensions and in culture.

Chapter 12 Ratio of pyramidal cells versus non-pyramidal cells in the human frontal isocortex and changes in ratio with ageing and Alzheimer's disease

This chapter presents a study that assesses the percentages of both the pyramidal neurons and the non-pyramidal cells in various layers of a defined prefrontal isocortical area of the human adult and it has the ultimate goal of examining whether changes of these percentages occur with ageing and in Alzheimer's disease. The neuronal constituents of the mammalian telencephalic cortex can generally be classified as either pyramidal neurons or non-pyramidal neurons. In general, pyramidal cells and the modified forms of pyramidal cells can be considered as projection neurons, while most non-pyramidal cells can be referred to as local circuit neurons. Lipofuscin pigment granules can frequently be encountered in nerve cells of the human adult. The size, shape, stainability, and pattern of distribution of these granules can serve as characteristics for the differentiation of various neuronal types forming the human brain. Pigmented nerve cells show a slight increase in the number of lipofuscin granules with age, but this does not change the typical pattern of pigmentation. The pigmentation of pyramidal cells and modified pyramidal cells differs considerably from that seen in the nonpyramidal neurons. After the demonstration of the correspondence of the pigment characteristics and the nerve cell type as seen in the Golgi preparation, a combined pigment, Nissl, preparation allow to quantitatively analyze the proportions of the various types of cortical constituents at light microscopical level and enables to study their pattern of distribution throughout various cortical layers.

Lipofuscin response to the "aging-reversal" drug centrophenoxine in rat retinal pigment epithelium and frontal cortex.

The effects of centrophenoxine on the lipofuscin contents of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and frontal cortex of the brain were examined in senescent female Fischer rats. Rats (106 weeks old) were injected daily for 11 weeks with centrophenoxine (80 to 120 mg/kg body weight) or saline, and then sacrificed along with untreated 28- and 46-week-old controls. The number of lipofuscin granules seen in the RPE by light microscopy increased by 70% between 28 and 117 weeks of age in control animals. There was a concomitant age-related increase in lipofuscin specific fluorescence in the RPE. Centrophenoxine treatment neither reduced the amount of lipofuscin, nor altered the ultrastructural appearance of lipofuscin granules in the RPE. Between 28 and 117 weeks of age, there was an almost nine-fold increase in the lipofuscin content of the frontal cortex of control animals; centrophenoxine treatment failed to reverse this pigment accumulation.