title: Cell Counts of Purkinje and Inferior Olivary Neurons in the 'Hyperspiny Purkinje Cells' Mutant Mouse.
abstract: The mutant mouse 'hyperspiny Purkinje cells' (hpc) has morphologically abnormal Purkinje cells and below normal intracerebellar calbindin-D28k, a calcium-binding protein that, in the cerebellum, is found only in the Purkinje cells. We counted the Purkinje cells on serial sections stained with thionin or labelled with anti-calbindin-D28k antibodies to investigate whether the depletion of the cerebellar content of calbindin-D28k was correlated with a reduced number of Purkinje cells. We also counted the inferior olivary neurons, as they are one of the major afferents of the Purkinje cells and also contain calbindin-D28k. The hpc mutant mice had 27% fewer cerebellar Purkinje cells and 12% fewer inferior olivary neurons than did controls. Their Purkinje cells were evenly immunostained but slightly atrophic. These data suggest that the depleted cerebellar calbindin-D28k content could be explained both by the loss of some Purkinje cells and the reduced size of the remaining ones.
authors.affiliation: Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Institut des Neurosciences (URA CNRS 1199), Laboratoire de Neurobiologie du Développement, 9 quai Saint Bernard, Repère 40, 75005 Paris, France.
authors.forename: F.
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Frederic
authors.forename: F.
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hainaut
authors.forename: M.
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thomasset
authors.forename: J. L.
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Guenet
authors.forename: N.
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Delhaye-Bouchaud
authors.forename: J.
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mariani