Summary
Glycogen accumulation in the Clarke's nucleus neuropil of young adult rats whose sciatic nerves were crushed in the first postnatal day was investigated with the electron microscope. Glycogen was observed in synaptic boutons and in small myelinated axons. In some terminals, glycogen accumulated in membranebound structures resembling mitochondria and formed large multigranular bodies which were entirely separated from the axoplasm. The multigranular body reached the size of 1.3 μm. Glycogen was present as single beta particles of about 25–40 nm in diameter and in aggregations of large alpha clusters. The astrocytic glycogen distribution was almost similar to that of the control specimens. Glycogen was not observed in other glial cells. It is probable that glycogen accumulation in synaptic terminals of partially deafferentiated Clarke's nucleus may result from impaired glycolysis due to deficient resupply of the distal axon with glycolytic enzymes caused by a defect in axoplasmic transport from the hypoplastic sensory neuronal perikarya.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Berthold CH (1966) Ultrastructural appearance of glycogen in the B neurons of the lumbar spinal ganglia of the frog. J Ultrast Res 14:254–267
Bondok AA, Sansone FM (1984a) Retrograde and transganglionic degeneration of sensory neurons after a peripheral nerve lesion at birth. Exp Neurol 86:322–330
Bondok AA, Sansone FM (1984b) Quantitative ultrastructural stereology of synapses in nucleus dorsalis after a peripheral nerve injury a birth. Exp Neurol 86:331–341
Campa JF, Engel WK (1970) Histochemistry of motor neurons and interneurons in the cat lumbar spinal cord. Neurology 20:559–568
Guth L, Watson PK (1968) A correlated histochemical and quantitative study on cerebral glycogen after brain injury in the rat. Exp Neurol 22:590–602
Haymaker W, Miquel J, Ibrahim MZM (1970) Glycogen accumulation following brain trauma. In: Wycis HT (ed) Current research in the neurosciences, vol 10. Topical problems in psychiatry and neurology. Karger, Basel, pp 71–87
Ishikawa T, Pei YF (1965) Intramitochondrial glycogen particles in rat retinal receptor cells. J Cell Biol 25:402–407
Karnovsky MJ (1971) Use of ferrocyanide-reduced osmium tetroxide in electron microscopy. J Cell Biol 51:146A
Knyihár E, Csillik B (1976) Effect of peripheral axotomy on the fine structure and histochemistry of the Rolando substance: degenerative atrophy of central processes of pseudounipolar cells. Exp Brain Res 26:73–87
Konishi A (1966) Occurrence of glycogen in developing cerebellar mossy fiber endings: an electron microscopic study. Arch Histol Jpn 27:451–467
Laatsch TH, Cowan WM (1967) Electron microscopic studies of the dentate gyrus of the rat. II. Degeneration of commissural afferents. J Comp Neurol 130:241–262
Lampert PW (1967) A comparative electron microscopic study of reactive, degenerating, regenerating and dystrophic axons. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 26:345–368
Maxwell, DS, Kruger L (1965) The fine structure of astrocytes in the cerebral cortex and their response to focal injury produced by heavy ionizing particles. J Cell Biol 25:141–157
Nelson SR, Schulz DW, Passonneau JV, Lowry OH (1968) Control of glycogen levels in brain. J Neurochem 15:1271–1279
Phelps CH (1972) Barbiturate-induced glycogen accumulation in brain. An electron microscopic study. Brain Res 39:225–234
Powell HC, Ward HW, Garret RS, Orloff MJ, Lampert PW (1979) Glycogen accumulation in the nerves and kidney of chronically diabetic rats. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 38:114–127
Sotelo C, Palay SL (1968) The fine structure of lateral vestibular nucleus in the rat. I. Neurons and neuroglial cells. J Cell Biol 36:151–179
Spencer PS, Sabri MI, Schaumburg HH, Moore CL (1979) Does a defect of energy metabolism in the nerve fibre underlie axonal degeneration and polyneuropathies? Ann Neurol 5:501–507
Vaughn JE, Grieshaber JA (1972) An electron microscopic investigation of glycogen and mitochondria in developing and adult rat spinal motor neuropil. J Neurocytol 1:397–412
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bondok, A.A. Glycogen accumulation in synaptic boutons in Clarke's nucleus neuropil after sciatic nerve crush at birth. Acta Neuropathol 72, 335–340 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00687264
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00687264