Neuronal hypertrophy in the human supraoptic and paraventricular nucleus in aging and Alzheimer's disease.
In the literature, activation of the hypothalamo-neurohypophyseal system (HNS) in normal aging has been demonstrated in rat and human. This activation might be secondary to an age-related decline in vasopressin binding sites in the kidney, or to cell loss in the supraoptic (SON) and paraventricular nuclei (PVN) and/or to an age-related decline in noradrenergic (NA) innervation of the hypothalamus. This study shows neuronal hypertrophy in SON and PVN in normal aging and an additional hypertrophy in Alzheimer's disease. No cell loss could be demonstrated in both conditions.
Vogels
O J
OJ
Research Laboratory for Morphological Neurology, University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Broere
C A
CA
Nieuwenhuys
R
R
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000473:pathology*; D002452:Cell Count; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006984:Hypertrophy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010286:Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000473:pathology*; D013495:Supraoptic Nucleus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000473:pathology*