title: [Effect of autolysis on histochemical examinations of the central nervous system].
abstract: The objective of the study was to explain the effect of autolysis on immunohistochemical detection of neurone-specific enolase (NSE), beta-amyloid protein precursor (beta-APP) and ubiquitine in cerebral tissue. The examination was made in 6 deceased subjects without mechanical injury of the CNS and 6 subjects with a craniocerebral injury who survived from 6 hours to 3 days. In all deceased subjects the post-mortem examination was made within 24 hours after death. For immunohistochemical examination tissue excisions were taken from standard sites of the brain. The first tissue excisions were immersed into 10% formol after a post-mortem interval of 24 hours. The remaining tissue slices were subjected to autolysis at room temperature and gradually immersed into formol after 24-hour intervals, the longest post-mortem interval being 168 hours, i.e. 7 days. For visualization of the linked primary antibody the biotin-streptavidin system labelled with alkaline phosphatase was selected. In the group of 6 subjects who died after a craniocerebral injury in 4 instances axonal lesions were detected, i.e. axonal oedema or formation of retraction spheroids. The damaged axons were positive on examination with all investigated antibodies, whereby it was possible even after a 168-hour post-mortem interval to differentiate damaged and not damaged axons. In the group of 6 subjects without mechanical injury of the CNS in 5 instances axonal oedema was found, however, it was not positive with anti-NSE antibodies nor with anti-beta-APP. After the 24-hour post-mortem interval in this group in 3 instances ubiquitine positivity was found in axons but already after a post-mortem interval exceeding 2 days the axons were ubiquitine positive in all 6 subjects. Lumpy deposits of this substance could be detected in axons also beyond axonal structures.
authors.affiliation: Ustav soudního lékarství 2. LF UK, Praha. Pavel.Toupalik@lfmotol.cuni.cz
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Toupalík
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bouska
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jezková
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000032:analysis; D001329:Autolysis; D001369:Axons / Q000473:pathology; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000032:analysis; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D014452:Ubiquitins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D014452:Ubiquitins; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase