Observations on the ultrastructure of the developing cerebellum of the Macaca mulatta

Effects of hyperbilirubinaemia on glutathione S-transferase isoenzymes in cerebellar cortex of the Gunn rat

The glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are a family of isoenzymes involved in the detoxication of a variety of electrophilic xenobiotics. The present investigation demonstrates that GST activity and the concentration of cytosolic GSTs in cerebellar cortex of Gunn rats were increased in hyperbilirubinaemic animals compared with non-jaundiced controls. Age-dependent and region-specific increases in GST isoenzymes were seen in three regions of the cerebellar cortex of jaundiced Gunn rats, whereas GST concentrations were not altered in the brainstem, thalamus/hypothalamus, cortex or liver. Cytosolic GST activity was increased 1.3-fold in the flocculus and lateral hemispheres of 20-day-old and 1.7-fold in the flocculus, lateral hemispheres and vermis of 60-day-old jaundiced (jj; homozygous) Gunn rats compared with non-jaundiced (Jj; heterozygous) Gunn rats. H.p.l.c. was used to determine the GST subunit protein concentrations in cytosolic fractions isolated from liver and brain regions of jaundiced and non-jaundiced animals. In all regions of the cerebellum from 20-day-old animals, the levels of Alpha-class GST subunits 2 (Yc1; 3.0-fold) and 8 (Yk; 2.0-fold) were increased in jaundiced rats. In 60-day-old animals, the concentrations of Alpha-class GST subunits 2 (Yc1; 5.0-fold) and 8 (Yk; 3.0-fold), Mu-class subunit 11 (Yo; 2.5-fold) and Pi-class subunit 7 (Yp; 2.0-fold) were increased in all regions of cerebellar cortex of jaundiced animals. In cerebellum of 10-, 20- and 60-day-old non-jaundiced and jaundiced Gunn rats, the flocculus had the highest concentration of Mu-class GST subunit 4 (Yb2) and vermis the lowest; hyperbilirubinaemia increased the concentration of subunit 4 (Yb2; 3- to 5-fold) in the flocculus and lateral hemispheres, but not the vermis, of 20- and 60-day-old rats. Intraperitoneal injection of sulphadimethoxine, a long-acting sulphonamide which displaces bilirubin from its albumin-binding sites and increases the bilirubin levels in tissues, further increased the already elevated concentrations of GST subunits in the lateral regions of cerebellar cortex of hyperbilirubinaemic rats. For example, the concentration of subunit 4 (Yb2) was increased 2.2-fold (compared with non-jaundiced controls) in Gunn rats injected with saline and 7.4-fold in rats injected with 100 mg of sulphadimethoxine/kg body weight. In contrast, GSTs in the vermis of jaundiced animals were not affected by sulphadimethoxine injection. Sulphadimethoxine had no effect on GST concentrations in lateral regions and vermis of heterozygous (Jj) Gunn rats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Expression of the carbohydrate epitope 3-fucosyl-N-acetyl-lactosamine (CD15) in the vertebrate cerebellar cortex

The distribution of the carbohydrate epitope CD15 was investigated on paraffin sections of the brains of man and mammals (monkey, dog, rabbit, rat, mouse, dolphin), reptile, bird and fish by means of immunohistochemistry. This paper demonstrates a differential expression of the CD15 epitope in the cerebella of these various vertebrates. CD15 positivity was found on glial cells and neuronal structures. In adult brains two major distribution patterns were distinguished: one with very intense labelling of the molecular layer, for which the rat is representative, the other with very low immunoreactivity in this layer (mouse). Amongst the rodents (mouse, rat and rabbit), as well as the monkey and human, the positivity in the molecular layer could be attributed to Bergmann fibres of the Golgi epithelial cells. A typical parasagittal band pattern, present in the mouse molecular layer for CD15, which is absent in rat and rabbit molecular layer, is present during human cerebellar development. CD15 positivity on neuronal structures is found on parallel fibres in the developing human, on the lower stellate cells in the dog, and in climbing fibres of the dolphin and, presumably, the catfish too. Moreover, within the parrot cerebellum, large CD15-positive mossy fibre-like endings are found just at the infraplexiform layer.

Neuropeptide-immunoreactive cells and fibers in the developing primate cerebellum

Using the avidin-biotin-peroxide immunohistochemical method, we studied the distributions of somatostatin (SOM)-, cholecystokinin-8 (CCK-8)- and substance P (SP)-like immunoreactivities in the cerebellum of macaque monkeys at embryonic day 120 (E120), E140, newborn, postnatal day 60 (P60) and adults. During the embryonic stages, there were many SOM-, CCK- and SP-immunoreactive structures in the external granular layer, Purkinje cell layer and white matter, SP-immunoreactive mossy fibers and their terminals were distributed in the granular layer and white matter. During these stages, there were SOM-immunoreactive Purkinje cells, Golgi cells and a few cells in the molecular layer, and CCK-immunoreactive Purkinje cells and cells in the molecular layer. At the newborn stage, all of the immunoreactivities in the external granular layer decreased and the number of immunoreactive fibers increased in the white matter. At P60 stage, SOM- and CCK-immunoreactive fibers were observed around Purkinje cells, which seem to be the fiber terminals of basket cells. Many SOM, CCK and SP fibers were distributed in the white matter. In the adult stage, we observed little neuropeptide-immunoreactivity in the cerebellum. The high concentration of the neuropeptide-immunoreactive fibers and cells in the earlier stages suggests that the neuropeptides may be involved in the development of the primate cerebellar cortex.

Ontogeny of glutamic acid decarboxylase, tyrosine hydroxylase, choline acetyltransferase, somatostatin and substance P in monkey cerebellum

The enzyme activities of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and concentrations of substance P (SP) and somatostatin were determined in the cerebellum of macaque monkey (Macaca fuscata fuscata) at 3 different ages, embryonic 4 months, embryonic 5.5 months (full-term) and adult. Similar graded increases in the activities of GAD and TH were observed during development. In contrast, ChAT activity was relatively high at embryonic 4 months, increased about twofold between embryonic 4 months and 5.5 months, but did not change between embryonic 5.5 months and adult. These findings suggest that noradrenergic terminals develop synchronously with GABAergic interneurons. On the other hand, the innervation by ChAT-containing fibers is completed during the prenatal period. The concentrations of somatostatin and SP were high at embryonic 4 months, and decreased to, respectively, about 1/18 and 1/4 (expressed per g weight) in adult animals. Several interpretations of the decrease of the two neuropeptides in cerebellar tissue during ontogeny are discussed.

Impeded cerebellar development and reduced serum thyroxine levels associated with fetal alcohol intoxication

Pregnant albino rats were placed on a complete liquid diet (Ensure) containing either 9% ethanol or an isocaloric amount of sucrose between the third and twentieth day of gestation. The pups born to these rats were sacrificed either day 11 or day 14 postnatum and morphometrical, histological and biochemical analyses were done on their cerebellums and cerebrums. Pups that were exposed to ethanol in utero had significantly smaller body weights, cerebrums and cerebellums than pair-fed controls. The cerebellar mass was reduced by 10% and the cerebral weight by 3% in the pups exposed to alcohol when body weights were normalized to that of pair-fed controls. Cerebellar aspartyl aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.1) activity was reduced at day 11 and 14 in ethanol treated pups compared with controls. Serum T4 levels were also reduced in the ethanol treated group. Histological analyses revealed that the external granule cell (EGC) layer of ethanol treated pups was significantly thicker at 11 and 14 days postnatum than that of pair-fed control pups. Cerebellar ornithine decarboxylase (ODC, EC 4.1.1.17) activity was higher at day 11 in the ethanol treated pups than in controls. The reduced mass, AAT activity, T4 serum levels and the increased thickness of the ECG layer indicate a delayed or impeded maturation of cerebellum in ethanol treated pups. These data are considered from the viewpoint that ethanol, other drugs such as methadone and prenatal stress (malnutrition) may cause delayed cerebellar maturation by reducing serum T4 levels in the early postnatal period (day 5-14).

The development and degeneration of Purkinje cells in pcd mutant mice

Purkinje cell degeneration (pcd), an autosomal recessive mutation in the mouse, causes the postnatal death of virtually all cerebellar Purkinje cells during the third and fourth postnatal week. We have compared the postnatal development of normal and pcd mutant Purkinje cells. The early deviations from normal development involve primarily the perikaryonal polysomes and endoplasmic reticulum. Many of the mutant Purkinje cells retain abnormally the basal accumulation of polysomes, a finding which permits the identification of affected animals at postnatal day 15, one week prior to the onset of behavioral abnormalities. In addition, the affected Purkinje cells possess unusual configurations of endoplasmic reticulum with associated electron-dense particles similar to but larger than ribosomes, mature and forming intracisternal A particles and nematosomes. Before the pcd Purkinje cells degenerate they appear to receive all their appropriate synaptic contacts. Some disruption, however, of parallel fiber: Purkinje spine synaptogenesis occurs at late stages of development. Some spines lack presynaptic elements, postsynaptic thickenings are present along the dendritic shafts and parallel fibers appear to make synaptic contacts directly onto the shafts. The spectrum of early morphological changes that has been observed in pcd mutant Purkinje cells is thus far unique to this cerebellar abnormality.

Autoradiographic studies of cerebellar histogenesis in the bullfrog tadpole during metamorphosis: the external granular layer

Spontaneously metamorphosing bullfrog tadpoles and those induced to metamorphose by injections of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) were given a single intraperitoneal injection of thymidine-3H (10 muCi/g body weight). The brains were dissected out at various periods 3 hours to 14 days later, and processed for autoradiography. At the 3-hour interval after thymidine-3H injection, ependymal cells were labelled, but not the external granular layer (EGL) cells. Furthermore, in all the metamorphosing tadpoles intense labelling was restricted to the ependyma of the marginal region of the cerebellar plate. At 48 hours, labelled cells were seen in the EGL of the marginal region. At the 4-day interval, most of the EGL was labelled, and labelled cells were also seen migrating from the EGL into the internal granular layer (IGL). By 14 days, several labelled cells were seen in the IGL. Although the sequence of cerebellar histogenesis in the frog is similar to the general pattern described in other vertebrate groups, the results indicate that the EGL of the frog cerebellum does not serve the function of a secondary proliferating zone.

Ultrastructural studies on postnatal differentiation of neurons in the substantia gelatinosa of rat cervical spinal cord

Neuroblasts of the substantia gelatinosa at birth were small with large oval nuclei and scanty cytoplasm. The cytoplasm possessed ribosomes and mitochondria. Granular endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi complexes were generally absent or rudimentary. Electron dense bodies were seldom observed. By the end of the first week, the nuclei of several cells demonstrated early nuclear invaginations; cytoplasm exhibited growth cones, a well developed granular endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi complexes. At several points the channels of endoplasmic reticulum became continuous with the perinuclear space. By the end of the second week, differentiation of the neuroblasts was more advanced. More nuclei showed invagination of their contour. The cytoplasm revealed well dev-loped granular endoplasmic reticulum and multiple Golgi complexes. Numerous vesicles and dense bodies were found adjacent to the Golgi complexes. Arrays of agranular endoplasmic reticulum also appeared late in the second week. By the third week, features of neuronal differentiation, such as nuclear invagination, granular endoplasmic reticulum agranular membrane configurations, multiple Golgi complexes and dense bodies in the cytoplasm became well established.

Ultrastructural changes in the mitochondria of cerebellar Purkinje cells of nervous mutant mice

The maturation of cerebellar Purkinje cells of normal and nervous (nr/nr) mutant mice has been studied by light and electron microscopy. In the mutant, 90% of Purkinje cells selectively degenerate between postnatal days 23 and 50. Losses are greater in lateral than medial regions. Other cerebellar neurons appear normal. The first morphological abnormality recognized is the presence of rounded mitochondria in perikarya of some Purkinje cells of the mutant at 9 days after birth. By 15 days, all nr/nr Purkinje cells contain spherical mitochondria and begin to deviate from the normal maturational sequence. Elaboration of the extensive dendritic tree halts midway and newly formed axon collateral fibers degenerate. In the perikaryon, the basal polysomal accumulation and climbing fiber-somatic spine synapses are sometimes abnormally retained. Cisternae of the Golgi apparatus and rough endoplasmic reticulum cease to form aligned stacks, and decrease in number, while polysomes dissociate into free ribosomes. These changes are progressive, culminating in cell death. Although every nr/nr Purkinje cell demonstrates spherical mitochondria, some cells survive the critical period, retain a near-normal complement of organelles, and reacquire normal-appearing mitochondria. The disorder appears intrinsic to Purkinje cells since all major classes of synapses were identified before cell death.

Neurogenesis and morphogenesis in the cerebellar cortex

The cerebellum presents the best site in the central nervous system for defining fundamental problems concerning the origin and differentiation of neurones, and their growth and development. The many recent experimental investigations of these problems are reviewed, and hypotheses based upon them are developed in relation to neurogenesis, morphogenesis, and synaptogenesis.