Summary
Numerous diffuse senile plaque-like structures (SPLSs) were found in the cerebral cortex from cases with dementia of the Alzheimer type by means of the methenamine-Bodian method. SPLSs varied in shape and size. They were never recognized in the original Bodian, PAS and Congo red preparations, but were positive with anti-β-protein immunostaining and periodic-acid methenamine silver (PAM) methods, which are thought to specifically stain amyloid substance. With PAM electron microscopy, we found sparse aggregations of amorphous, often ramified, structures with fine granular silver deposits in SPLS. Routine electron microscopic examination on the same portion where SPLS were confirmed by PAM electron microscopy revealed amorphous, partially fibrous structures. These structures might be amyloid or amyloid-precursor substance. In SPLSs only a few degenerated neurites and astrocytic processes with glycogen granules were seen. We consider SPLSs to be a kind of senile plaque.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Glenner Gg, Wong CW, Quaranta V, Eanes ED (1984) The amyloid deposits in Alzheimer's disease: their nature and pathogenesis. Appl Pathol 2:357–369
Gonatas NK, Anderson W, Evangelista I (1967) The contribution of altered synapses in the senile plaque: an electron microscopic study in Alzheimer's dementia. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 26:25–39
Haga C, Ikeda K, Kosaka K, Izumiyama Y, Oyanagi S (1989) Light and electron microscopic study of “plaque-like structures” in Alzheimer-type dementia. Dementia 3:85–90
Haga C, Yamaguchi H, Ikeda K, Kosaka K (1989) PAM modified methenamine silver stain for senile plaques. —Comparison with anti-β-protein immunostaining. Dementia (in press)
Ikeda K, Kobayashi T, Haga C, Kosaka K (1989) Fine structural study of senile plaques in a case with Down's syndrome. Dementia 3:223–228
Ikeda S, Allsop D, Glenner GG (1989) The morphology and distribution of plaque and related deposits in the brains of Alzheimer's disease and control bases: An immunohistochemical study using amyloidβ protein antibody. Lab Invest (in press)
Ishii T, Haga S (1984) Immuno-electron microscopic localization of complements in amyloid fibrils of senile plaques. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 63:296–300
Ishii T, Kametani F, Haga S, Sato M (1989) The immunohistochemical demonstration of subsequences of the precursor of the amyloid A4 protein in senile plaques in Alzheimer's disease. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol (in press)
Kidd M (1964) Alzheimer's disease: an electron microscopical study. Brain 87:307–320
Kondo H, Haga T, Kito T, Kosada M, Matushita M (1987) Methenamine-bodian staining for senile plaques (in Japanese). Pathol Clin Med 5:1365–1369
Lampert P (1971) Fine structural changes of neurites in Alzheimer's disease. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) [Suppl] V:49–53
Makibuchi T, Takahashi H, Ikuta F (1987) Study of PAM-positive substance in primitive plaques by PAM electron microscopy on serial sections (in Japanese). Neuropathology 8:173–174
Masters CL, Multhaup G, Simms G, Pottgiesser J, Martins RN, Beyreuther K (1985) Neuronal origin of a cerebral amyloid: neurofibrillary tangles of Alzheimer's disease contain the same protein as the amyloid of the plaque cores and blood vessels. EMBO J 4:2757–2763
Miyakawa T, Shimoji A, Kuramoto R, Higuchi Y (1982) The relationship between senile plaques and cerebral blood vessels in Alzheimer's disease and senile dementia. Morphological mechanism of senile plaque production. Virchows Arch [B] 40:121–129
Okamoto K, Yamaguchi H, Hirai S, Shoji M, Harigaya Y, Takatama M (1988) Immunogold electron microscopic study of cerebrovascular and senile plaque amyloid by use of anti-β protein antibody. Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disorder 2:269 (Abstr)
Oyanagi S (1974) Ultrastructural aspects of so-called senile changes in brain: Alzheimer's neurofibrillary changes, senile plaque, Pick body, granulovacuolar degeneration and Hirano body. Brain Nerve (Tokyo) 26:753–771
Probst A, Brunnschweiler H, Lautenschlager C, Ulrich J (1987) A special type of senile plaque, possibly an initial stage. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 74:133–141
Tagliavini F, Giaccone G, Frangione B, Bugiani O (1988) Cortical pre-amyloid deposition in Alzheimer patients and normals. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 47:33 (Abstr)
Terry RD, Wisniewski H (1970) The ultrastructure of the neurofibrillary tangle and the senile plaque. In: Wolstenholme GEW, O'Connor M (eds) Alzheimer's disease and related conditions. Churchill, London, pp 145–168
Terry RD, Gonatas NK, Weiss M (1964) Ultrastructural studies in Alzheimer's presenile dementia. Am J Pathol 44:269–297
Wisniewski H, Terry RD (1973) Reexamination of the pathogenesis of the senile plaque. Prog Neuropathol 2:1–26
Yajima G (1977) Periodic acid-methenamine silver stain (in Japanese). Med Technol 5:1041–1046
Yamaguchi H, Shoji M, Harigaya Y, Okamoto K, Hirai S (1988) Alzheimer-type dementia: diffuse type of senile plaques demonstrated byβ-protein immunostaining. Allheimer Dis Assoc Disorder 2:243 (Abstr)
Yamaguchi H, Hirai S, Morimatsu M, Shoji M, Ihara Y (1988) A variety of cerebral amyloid deposits in the brains of the Alzheimer-type dementia demonstrated byβ-protein immunostaining. Acta Neuropathol 76:541–549
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ikeda, K., Haga, C., Kosaka, K. et al. Senile plaque-like structures: observation of a probably unknown type of senile plaque by periodic-acid methenamine silver (PAM) electron microscopy. Acta Neuropathol 78, 137–142 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00688201
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00688201