Confocal microscopy as a tool to examine DNA fragmentation, chromatin condensation and other apoptotic changes in Parkinson's disease.
There is considerable controversy regarding the possibility that nigral dopaminergic neurons may die via apoptosis in Parkinson's disease. It is now clear that both single- and/or double-stranded DNA breaks can be generated in the apoptotic degradative process. Since these breaks may also be present in necrotic cell death, in situ end labeling cannot be used in isolation to identify apoptotic neurons. We have developed a fluorescent double-labeling method that combines in situ end labeling with the simultaneous visualization of chromatin condensation. When viewed with laser confocal scanning microscopy, the structural detail of the nucleus is provided to unequivocally identify apoptotic nuclei.
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Department of Neurology, Box 1137, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, 1 Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA; New York University, New York, USA.
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