Nerve cell loss in the thalamic centromedian-parafascicular complex in patients with Huntington's disease.
The centromedian-parafascicular complex represents a nodal point in the neuronal loop comprising striatum--globulus pallidus--thalamus--striatum. Striatal neurone degeneration is a hallmark in Huntington's disease and we were interested in estimating total neurone and glial number in this thalamic nuclear complex. Serial 500-microns-thick gallocyanin-stained frontal sections of the left hemisphere from six cases of Huntington's disease patients (three females, three males) and six age- and sex-matched controls were investigated applying Cavalieri's principle and the optical disector. Mean neurone number in the controls was 646,952 +/- 129,668 cells versus 291,763 +/- 60,122 in Huntington's disease patients (Mann-Whitney U-test, P < 0.001). Total glial cell number (astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, microglia, and unclassifiable glial profiles) was higher in controls with 9,544,191 +/- 3,028,944 versus 6,961,989 +/- 2,241,543 in Huntington's disease patients (Mann-Whitney U-test, P < 0.021). Considerable increase of fibrous astroglia within the centromedian-parafascicular complex could be observed after Gallyas' impregnation. Most probably this cell type enhanced the numerical ratio between glial number and neurone number (glial index: Huntington's disease patients = 24.4 +/- 8.1; controls = 15.0 +/- 5.2; Mann-Whitney U-test, P < 0.013). The neurone number in the centromedian-parafascicular complex correlated negatively, although statistically not significantly, with the striatal neurone number. This lack of correlation between an 80% neuronal loss in the striatum and a 55% neurone loss in the centromedian-parafascicular complex points to viable neuronal circuits connecting the centromedian-parafascicular complex with cortical and subcortical regions that are less affected in Huntington's disease.
Heinsen
H
H
Morphologische Hirnforschung, Universitäts-Nervenklinik, Würzburg, Germany.
Rüb
U
U
Gangnus
D
D
Jungkunz
G
G
Bauer
M
M
Ulmar
G
G
Bethke
B
B
Schüler
M
M
Böcker
F
F
Eisenmenger
W
W
Götz
M
M
Strik
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000648:ultrastructure; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D002452:Cell Count; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006816:Huntington Disease / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013788:Thalamus / Q000473:pathology*