Fibrous astrocytes in Alzheimer's disease and senile dementia of Alzheimer's type (original) (raw)

Summary

In four patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), one patient with senile dementia of Alzheimer's type (SDAT) and five age-matched controls, occipital cortex, frontal cortex, and hippocampus were evaluated for the distribution of fibrous astrocytes (FA), using peroxidase-anti-peroxidase for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). FA, neuronal cells, neurofibrillary tangles (NFT), and senile plaques (SP) have been quantified in the occipital cortex. In AD and SDAT there was a significant increase in the number of FA in the molecular layer as well as in the other layers of the cortex. No correlation was found between the increase in FA and the number of neurons, NFT or SP. The GFAP positivity was most pronounced around small blood vessels. Electron-microscopic studies of four cortical biopsies of AD revealed dense perivascular gliosis in 48.8% of the capillaries examined as opposed to 17.8% of capillaries in three controls without dementia. The significance of increased perivascular gliosis in AD and SDAT is unknown. It may be related to a defect in the blood-brain barrier.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

• Get 10 units per month
• Download Article/Chapter or eBook
• 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
• Cancel anytime Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Abbreviations

AD :

Alzheimer's disease

SDAT :

senile dementia of Alzheimer's type

FA :

Fibrous astrocytes

PAP :

Peroxidase-antiperoxidase

GFAP :

Glial fibrillary acidic protein

NFT :

Neurofibrillary tangles

SP :

Senile plaques

References

• Corsellis JAN (1976) Ageing and the dementias. In: Blackwood W, Corsellis JAN (eds) Greenfield's neuropathology, Arnold, Edinburgh, pp 796–848
  Google Scholar
• Duffy PE, Rapport M, Graf L (1980) Glial fibrillary acidic protein and Alzheimer-type senile dementia. Neurology 30:778–782
  Google Scholar
• Fischer O (1910) Die presoyophrene Demenz, deren anatomische Grundlage und klinische Abgrenzung. Z Ges Neurol Psychiat 3:371–471
  Google Scholar
• Geinisman Y, Bondareff W, Dodge JT (1978) Hypertrophy of astroglial processes in the dentate gyrus of the senescent rat. J Anat 153:537–544
  Google Scholar
• Landfield PW, Rose G, Sandles L, Wohlstadter TC, Lynch G (1977) Patterns of astroglial hypertrophy and neuronal degeneration in the hippocampus of aged memory-deficient rats. J Gerotol 32:3–12
  Google Scholar
• Mancardi GL, Mandybur TI, Liwnicz, BH (1982) Spongiform-like changes in Alzheimer's disease. An ultrastructural study. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 56:146–150
  Google Scholar
• Polak M (1967) Modificaciones de la neuroglia y microglia en el envejecimiento. Arch Fund Roux Ocefa 1:17–29
  Google Scholar
• Schechter R, Yen SHC Terry RD (1981) Fibrous astrocytes in senile dementia of the Alzheimer type. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 40:95–101
  Google Scholar
• Senitz D, Goertchen R (1978) Über Astrozytenveränderungen in der orbitofrontalen Hirnrinde bei seniler Demenz. Zentralbl Allgem Pathol Anat 122:515–521
  Google Scholar
• Shimizu N, Hamuro Y (1958) Deposition of glycogen and changes in some enzymes in brain wounds. Nature 181:781–782
  Google Scholar
• Wisniewski HM, Terry RD (1976) Neuropathology of the aging brain. In: Terry RD, Gershon S (eds) Aging, vol 3. Neurobiology of aging. Raven Press, New York, pp 265–280
  Google Scholar

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

1. Clinica Neurologica, Università di Genova, via de Toni 5, I-16132, Genova, Italia
   G. L. Mancardi
2. Dept. of Pathology (Neuropathology), University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
   B. H. Liwnicz & T. I. Mandybur

Authors

1. G. L. Mancardi
   You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar
2. B. H. Liwnicz
   You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar
3. T. I. Mandybur
   You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Mancardi, G.L., Liwnicz, B.H. & Mandybur, T.I. Fibrous astrocytes in Alzheimer's disease and senile dementia of Alzheimer's type.Acta Neuropathol 61, 76–80 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00688390

Download citation

• Received: 28 December 1982
• Accepted: 07 March 1983
• Issue Date: March 1983
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00688390

Key words