title: Novel eosinophilic neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions in the external cuneate nucleus of humans.
abstract: We report the occurrence of neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions (NCIs) in the external cuneate nucleus of humans. The NCIs appeared as accumulations of eosinophilic rod-like structures in the neuronal somata in 20 (9.5%) of 211 consecutive autopsy cases. Histochemically, the NCIs were stained bright red with Gomori trichrome, Azan-Mallory and methyl green-pyronin, indicating that they contain protein and RNA. Immunohistochemically, the NCIs were positive for stress granule marker proteins, including Hu-antigen R, eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3 and poly(A)-binding protein 1, but negative for ubiquitin- and autophagy-related proteins. Ultrastructurally, the NCIs were composed of randomly oriented arrays of parallel fibrillar crystalline material with a well-defined substructure consisting of longitudinal striations, and were often associated with ribosome-like granules. These NCIs are morphologically, immunohistochemically and topographically distinct from any other inclusions previously described. Their incidence was found to increase with age. A high incidence was also observed in individuals with noninfectious inflammatory disease. These findings suggest that eosinophilic NCIs in the external cuneate nucleus are novel inclusions and might be formed under stress conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropathology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Masako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropathology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan.|Department of Neurology and Neurobiology of Aging, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropathology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumiaki
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropathology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miki
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropathology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Kunikazu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanji
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropathology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wakabayashi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003594:Cytoplasmic Granules / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004801:Eosine Yellowish-(YS); D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D002479:Inclusion Bodies / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008526:Medulla Oblongata / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009474:Neurons / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004801:Eosine Yellowish-(YS)
keywords: electron microscopy; eosinophilic neuronal cytoplasmic inclusion; external cuneate nucleus; immunohistochemistry; stress granule