ISSN:
1432-0533
Keywords:
Calcineurin
;
Huntigton's disease
;
Human brain
;
Immunohistochemistry
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Summary Calcineurin immunoreactivity has been successfully detected in formalin-fixed paraffinembedded postmortem human brain tissue using the peroxidase-antiperoxidase method. We have examined two autopsy cases with Huntigton's disease (HD), three cases with Parkinson's disease, and two senile patients as controls. In the controls, calcineurin immunoreactivity was present in neuronal cells only and highly concentrated in the caudate nucleus, putamen, globus pallidus (striato-pallidal pathway), substantia nigra (striato-nigral pathway) and hippocampal formation. These localizations were similar to those identified in rat brain. There was a marked depletion of neurons containing calcineurin in the caudate nucleus and putamen, and a marked reduction of calcineurin-immunoreactive nerve fibers in the globus pallidus and substantia nigra were found in the cases with HD, but not in those with Parkinson's disease. These findings suggest that calcineurin can be a useful and specific index of neuronal degeneration in the caudato-putamen resulting from extrapyramidal diesease, and that the calcineurin-immunostaining method can be a valuable tool for clarifying the anatomy of the human extrapyramidal system.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00685977
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