title: Spongiform degeneration of the gerbil cochlear nucleus: an ultrastructural and immunohistochemical evaluation.
abstract: Observations from ultrastructural and immunohistochemical studies suggest that spongiform lesions in the gerbil cochlear nucleus are derived principally from dendrites. Almost one-fifth of the lesion profiles examined ultrastructurally exhibited synaptic contacts with axon terminals. In addition, approximately 80% of lesions are immunopositive for the dendrite-specific microtubule associated protein, MAP2. Ultrastructural studies showed a small percentage (8%) of lesions were derived from myelinated axons, although none were immunohistochemically labelled with antibodies to the tau protein. Staining with the astrocyte-specific markers GFAP, S-100 and vimentin yielded equivocal results, but did not support a major role for astrocytes in lesion formation. The histological profile matches that seen in some other well characterized types of spongiform degeneration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, School of Medicine, Davis 95616, USA.
authors.forename: B T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Faddis
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: McGinn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017626:Cochlear Nucleus / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005849:Gerbillinae; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000032:analysis; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D009410:Nerve Degeneration; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D014746:Vimentin / Q000032:analysis; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D009418:S100 Proteins; D014746:Vimentin; D016875:tau Proteins