Cytology and organization of reactive astroglia in human cerebellar cortex with severe loss of granule cells: a study on the ataxic form of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

In order to investigate the cellular basis of human astrogliosis, we have selected the cerebellar cortex because it provides a relatively simple and geometrical organization of both neuronal and glial populations. A pathological system with severe and progressive loss of granule cells was studied: the ataxic form of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, where the tissue geometry is minimally disturbed. The quantitative study revealed a drastic reduction in the numerical density of granule cells in the Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease cerebellum, and a significant increase in the numerical density of astrocytes. Karyometric analysis showed that the nuclear area was significantly greater in reactive astroglial cells than in normal astroglia. Glial fibrillary acidic protein immunocytochemistry revealed astroglial hypertrophy, but the geometry and spatial domains of astroglial subtypes were strictly preserved. Vimentin expression was detected in Bergmann glia and in certain astrocytes of the granular layer. Ultrastructural analysis showed that reactive astroglia had large nuclei, with expanded interchromatinic regions which contained clusters of interchromatin granules and nuclear bodies, and prominent reticulate nucleoli. In the cytoplasm, hypertrophied bundles of intermediate filaments were observed, some of them associated with the nuclear envelope. Numerous adhering and gap junctions were also found among reactive astroglial cells. Perivascular glial processes showed a terminal web of intermediate filaments and a conspicuous plasmalemmal undercoat. Interendothelial tight junctions were preserved. Our results suggest that the severe loss of granule cells induces a highly ordered astroglial response which tends to preserve the geometry of the astroglial scaffold, the domains of each astroglial subtype, the neuronal microenvironmental conditions and the efficiency of the blood brain barrier, in order to promote neuron survival.

Nucleoli numbers and neuronal growth in supraoptic nucleus neurons during postnatal development in the rat.

We present a quantitative study of the variations in the number of nucleoli in supraoptic nucleus neurons during the postnatal period, as well as a morphometric and stereological analysis of the nuclear and cytoplasmic volume changes of these maturing neurons. The mean number of nucleoli per cell was 1.59 +/- 0.28 (mean +/- S.D.) at P1; it then began to decrease until P14 (1.32 +/- 0.67) at which age the adult pattern in the number of nucleoli was attained. The mean nuclear volume increased steadily from 214.56 +/- 6.48 microns 3 (mean +/- S.E.) at P1 to 326.1 +/- 10.93 microns 3 at P14 where it remained constant. The average cytoplasmic volume underwent a remarkable increase during postnatal period from 256.38 +/- 12.66 microns 3 at P1 to 3791.18 +/- 204.88 microns 3 at P90. It is noteworthy that the stabilization of the number of nucleoli coincides with the termination of the nuclear growth phase of supraoptic neurons. We suggest that these nuclear and nucleolar changes reflect the attainment of the fully-differentiated state of the protein synthesis machinery in these neurosecretory neurons.