Abstract
Cytoplasmic RNA content, nuclear and nucleolar volume are all significantly reduced in nerve cells of the temporal cortex in cases of Alzheimer's disease, examined both at diagnostic craniotomy and post mortem, when compared with non=demented control cases of similar age. On average, at necropsy, all three parameters are equally reduced by about 40-50%, but in biopsy cases, nuclear volume is decreased by the greatest amount (43%), followed by nucleolar volume is decreased by the greatest amount (43%), followed by nucleolar volume (36%), and cytoplasmic RNA (26%). These findings indicate that a change in protein synthesis occurs daily in the course of Alzheimer's disease which may result from a primary alteration within the nuclear apparatus.
Full text
PDF
Images in this article
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Bowen D. M., Smith C. B., White P., Flack R. H., Carrasco L. H., Gedye J. L., Davison A. N. Chemical pathology of this organic dementias. II. Quantitative estimation of cellular changes in post-mortem brains. Brain. 1977 Sep;100(3):427–453. doi: 10.1093/brain/100.3.427. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Crapper D. R., Quittkat S., de Boni U. Altered chromatin conformation in Alzheimer's disease. Brain. 1979 Sep;102(3):483–495. doi: 10.1093/brain/102.3.483. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Davies P. Neurotransmitter-related enzymes in senile dementia of the Alzheimer type. Brain Res. 1979 Aug 3;171(2):319–327. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(79)90336-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Mann D. M., Lincoln J., Yates P. O., Stamp J. E., Toper S. Changes in the monoamine containing neurones of the human CNS in senile dementia. Br J Psychiatry. 1980 Jun;136:533–541. doi: 10.1192/bjp.136.6.533. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Mann D. M., Sinclair K. G. The quantitative assessment of lipofuscin pigment, cytoplasmic RNA and nucleolar volume in senile dementia. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol. 1978 Mar-Apr;4(2):129–135. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2990.1978.tb00553.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Mann D. M., Yates P. O., Barton C. M. Cytophotometric mapping of neuronal changes in senile dementia. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1977 Mar;40(3):299–302. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.40.3.299. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Mann D. M., Yates P. O. Lipoprotein pigments--their relationship to ageing in the human nervous system. I. The lipofuscin content of nerve cells. Brain. 1974 Sep;97(3):481–488. doi: 10.1093/brain/97.1.481. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Mann D. M., Yates P. O., Stamp J. E. The relationship between lipofuscin pigment and ageing in the human nervous system. J Neurol Sci. 1978 Jun;37(1-2):83–93. doi: 10.1016/0022-510x(78)90229-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Perry E. K., Gibson P. H., Blessed G., Perry R. H., Tomlinson B. E. Neurotransmitter enzyme abnormalities in senile dementia. Choline acetyltransferase and glutamic acid decarboxylase activities in necropsy brain tissue. J Neurol Sci. 1977 Nov;34(2):247–265. doi: 10.1016/0022-510x(77)90073-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Sims N. R., Bowen D. M., Smith C. C., Flack R. H., Davison A. N., Snowden J. S., Neary D. Glucose metabolism and acetylcholine synthesis in relation to neuronal activity in Alzheimer's disease. Lancet. 1980 Feb 16;1(8164):333–336. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(80)90884-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]