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Zouridakis A, Ayala I, Minogue G, Kawles A, Keszycki R, Macomber A, Bigio E, Geula C, Mesulam MM, Gefen T. Shades of gray in human white matter. J Comp Neurol 2023; 531:2109-2120. [PMID: 37376715 PMCID: PMC10751392 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Anatomists have long expressed interest in neurons of the white matter, which is by definition supposed to be free of neurons. Hypotheses regarding their biochemical signature and physiological function are mainly derived from animal models. Here, we investigated 15 whole-brain human postmortem specimens, including cognitively normal cases and those with pathologic Alzheimer's disease (AD). Quantitative and qualitative methods were used to investigate differences in neuronal size and density, and the relationship between neuronal processes and vasculature. Double staining was used to evaluate colocalization of neurochemicals. Two topographically distinct populations of neurons emerged: one appearing to arise from developmental subplate neurons and the other embedded within deep, subcortical white matter. Both populations appeared to be neurochemically heterogeneous, showing positive reactivity to acetylcholinesterase (AChE) [but not choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)], neuronal nuclei (NeuN), nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase (NADPH-d), microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP-2), somatostatin (SOM), nonphosphorylated neurofilament protein (SMI-32), and calcium-binding proteins calbindin-D28K (CB), calretinin (CRT), and parvalbumin (PV). PV was more richly expressed in superficial as opposed to deep white matter neurons (WMNs); subplate neurons were also significantly larger than their deeper counterparts. NADPH-d, a surrogate for nitric oxide synthase, allowed for the striking morphological visualization of subcortical WMNs. NADPH-d-positive subcortical neurons tended to embrace the outer walls of microvessels, suggesting a functional role in vasodilation. The presence of AChE positivity in these neurons, but not ChAT, suggests that they are cholinoceptive but noncholinergic. WMNs were also significantly smaller in AD compared to control cases. These observations provide a landscape for future systematic investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia Zouridakis
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Ivan Ayala
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Grace Minogue
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Allegra Kawles
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Rachel Keszycki
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Alyssa Macomber
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Eileen Bigio
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Changiz Geula
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - M.-Marsel Mesulam
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Tamar Gefen
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
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Sakharkar M, Rockland KS, Duque A. Complex Neurochemical Microstructure of the Stria Terminalis in Infant and Adult Macaque Monkey. Front Neuroanat 2022; 16:891608. [PMID: 35692258 PMCID: PMC9174467 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2022.891608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The stria terminalis (ST) is a major bidirectional fiber tract anchored in the amygdala and bed nucleus (BNST). Extensive investigations in rodents report a complex arrangement of neurochemically diverse neurons within the ST, but fewer data are available for non-human primates. Given the functional importance of the ST, we investigated its microarchitecture in one newborn, four infant, and two adult macaque brains, by parallel immunocytochemical series for cells or fibers. Main results are as follows: (1) The pan-neuronal marker NeuN shows scattered neurons and small neuronal clusters in both the dorsal and ventral ST, but more numerous dorsally; (2) smaller neuronal subpopulations are labeled by calretinin (CR), neuropeptide Y (NPY), calbindin (CB), and somatostatin (SOM), of which the CR + neurons are the most numerous; (3) the infant brains on average have more neurons in the ST than the adult brains, but across our sample, there is notable individual variability; and (4) fiber architectonics have a complex organization, which can be referenced to myelin-poor or myelin-dense zones. Myelin-poor zones coincide with concentrations of fibers positive for CB, CR, or tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). Neurons have been reported in other white matter domains (e.g., anterior commissure, corpus callosum, cingulum bundle, and subcortical white matter). Like these, at least some neurons within the ST may give rise to long-distance connections, and/or participate in more local functions, such as vascular regulation or axon guidance/maintenance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kathleen S. Rockland
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Alvaro Duque
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- *Correspondence: Alvaro Duque,
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Swiegers J, Bhagwandin A, Williams VM, Maseko BC, Sherwood CC, Hård T, Bertelsen MF, Rockland KS, Molnár Z, Manger PR. The distribution, number, and certain neurochemical identities of infracortical white matter neurons in a chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) brain. J Comp Neurol 2021; 529:3429-3452. [PMID: 34180538 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
We examined the number, distribution, and immunoreactivity of the infracortical white matter neuronal population, also termed white matter interstitial cells (WMICs), throughout the telencephalic white matter of an adult female chimpanzee. Staining for neuronal nuclear marker (NeuN) revealed WMICs throughout the infracortical white matter, these cells being most numerous and dense close to the inner border of cortical layer VI, decreasing significantly in density with depth in the white matter. Stereological analysis of NeuN-immunopositive cells revealed an estimate of approximately 137.2 million WMICs within the infracortical white matter of the chimpanzee brain studied. Immunostaining revealed subpopulations of WMICs containing neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS, approximately 14.4 million in number), calretinin (CR, approximately 16.7 million), very few WMICs containing parvalbumin (PV), and no calbindin-immunopositive neurons. The nNOS, CR, and PV immunopositive WMICs, possibly all inhibitory neurons, represent approximately 22.6% of the total WMIC population. As the white matter is affected in many cognitive conditions, such as schizophrenia, autism, epilepsy, and also in neurodegenerative diseases, understanding these neurons across species is important for the translation of findings of neural dysfunction in animal models to humans. Furthermore, studies of WMICs in species such as apes provide a crucial phylogenetic context for understanding the evolution of these cell types in the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan Swiegers
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa
| | - Adhil Bhagwandin
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa
| | - Victoria M Williams
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa
| | - Busisiwe C Maseko
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa
| | - Chet C Sherwood
- Department of Anthropology and Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | | | - Mads F Bertelsen
- Centre for Zoo and Wild Animal Health, Copenhagen Zoo, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Kathleen S Rockland
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University, School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Zoltán Molnár
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Paul R Manger
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa
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Bhagwandin A, Debipersadh U, Kaswera-Kyamakya C, Gilissen E, Rockland KS, Molnár Z, Manger PR. Distribution, number, and certain neurochemical identities of infracortical white matter neurons in the brains of three megachiropteran bat species. J Comp Neurol 2020; 528:3023-3038. [PMID: 32103488 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
A large population of infracortical white matter neurons, or white matter interstitial cells (WMICs), are found within the subcortical white matter of the mammalian telencephalon. We examined WMICs in three species of megachiropterans, Megaloglossus woermanni, Casinycteris argynnis, and Rousettus aegyptiacus, using immunohistochemical and stereological techniques. Immunostaining for neuronal nuclear marker (NeuN) revealed substantial numbers of WMICs in each species-M. woermanni 124,496 WMICs, C. argynnis 138,458 WMICs, and the larger brained R. aegyptiacus having an estimated WMIC population of 360,503. To examine the range of inhibitory neurochemical types we used antibodies against parvalbumin, calbindin, calretinin, and neural nitric oxide synthase (nNOS). The calbindin and nNOS immunostained neurons were the most commonly observed, while those immunoreactive for calretinin and parvalbumin were sparse. The proportion of WMICs exhibiting inhibitory neurochemical profiles was ~26%, similar to that observed in previously studied primates. While for the most part the WMIC population in the megachiropterans studied was similar to that observed in other mammals, the one feature that differed was the high proportion of WMICs immunoreactive to calbindin, whereas in primates (macaque monkey, lar gibbon and human) the highest proportion of inhibitory WMICs contain calretinin. Interestingly, there appears to be an allometric scaling of WMIC numbers with brain mass. Further quantitative comparative work across more mammalian species will reveal the developmental and evolutionary trends associated with this infrequently studied neuronal population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adhil Bhagwandin
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Parktown, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Division of Clinical Anatomy and Biological Anthropology, Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ulsana Debipersadh
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Parktown, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | | | - Emmanuel Gilissen
- Department of African Zoology, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium
- Laboratory of Histology and Neuropathology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Anthropology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA
| | - Kathleen S Rockland
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University, School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Zoltán Molnár
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Paul R Manger
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Parktown, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Góis Morais PLA, Lima RRM, Ríos‐Flórez JA, Melo TFV, Clascá F, Souza Cavalcante J, Guzen FP, Cavalcanti JRLP, Nascimento Junior ES. Cytoarchitecture and myeloarchitecture of the entorhinal cortex of the common marmoset monkey (
Callithrix jacchus
). J Comp Neurol 2020; 528:1307-1320. [DOI: 10.1002/cne.24814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2019] [Revised: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Paulo L. A. Góis Morais
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte Natal Brazil
- Universidade Estadual do Rio Grande do Norte Mossoro Brazil
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