Basal ganglia calcification in BB/E rats with diabetes.
Human diabetes is associated with cognitive impairment and structural abnormalities in the brain such as cerebral atrophy. The aetiology of these abnormalities is not known. The BB/E rat is a well-established model of type 1 (insulin dependent) diabetes. A cohort of 34 BB/E rats with diabetes was divided into three sub-groups according to age (and duration of diabetes). Basal ganglia calcification (BGC) was present in the brains of more than 50% of diabetic animals, but not in any of 37 non-diabetic BB/E rats. BGC occurred more commonly in those animals which had the longest duration of diabetes (p=0.001), such that BGC was present in only 8% of animals with diabetes for 20 weeks, but in 100% of animals with diabetes for 60 weeks. There were no other significant light microscopic neuropathologic changes in diabetic animals. It will be important to investigate the mechanism of brain calcification, whether a similar process occurs in humans with diabetes, and its possible relationship to cognitive decline.
Lammie
G A
GA
Department of Pathology, University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff, UK. lammiega@cardi.ac.uk
Kelly
P A T
PA
Baird
J D
JD
Smith
W
W
Chatterjee
S
S
Frier
B M
BM
Strachan
M W J
MW
D000199:Actins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000473:pathology*; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000473:pathology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D005911:Gliosis / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats
D000199:Actins; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein