title: Nucleus-specific alteration of raphe neurons in human neurodegenerative disorders.
abstract: Neurodegenerative diseases share symptoms suggested to be related to the serotonergic system. To evaluate the involvement of serotonergic raphe nuclei, we compared the percentage of neurons synthesizing serotonin in the nucleus centralis superior (NCS), raphe obscurus and pallidus (NROP) in Alzheimer's disease (AD), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), Parkinson's disease (PD), multiple system atrophy (MSA), and control brains. We used immunohistochemistry for tryptophan hydroxylase (TpOH), phosphorylated tau, and alpha-synuclein. We observed a significant decrease in the NCS in the NROP in AD, but a significant increase in PSP and MSA. Cytoskeletal pathology was present in the NCS and NROP to a variable degree. We conclude that there is disease- and nucleus-specific alteration of serotonin synthesis in the raphe.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurology, University of Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Gabor G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Kovacs
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Klöppel
authors.forename: Ingeborg
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dorner
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lindeck-Pozza
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Birner
authors.forename: Ingolf C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Bötefür
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pilz
authors.forename: Benedikt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Volk
authors.forename: Herbert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Budka
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008526:Medulla Oblongata / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D019578:Multiple System Atrophy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011149:Pons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D011903:Raphe Nuclei / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D012701:Serotonin / Q000096:biosynthesis; D013494:Supranuclear Palsy, Progressive / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D051843:Synucleins; D014365:Tryptophan Hydroxylase / Q000032:analysis; D051844:alpha-Synuclein; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C497604:SNCA protein, human; D051843:Synucleins; D051844:alpha-Synuclein; D016875:tau Proteins; D012701:Serotonin; D014365:Tryptophan Hydroxylase