Destruction of external granular layer and subsequent cerebellar abnormalities

Summary

This study was undertaken to elucidate the relationship between the time of destruction of the external granular layer and subsequent cerebellar abnormalities. Mice were injected s. c. with 30 mg/kg body weight (b. wt.) of cytosine arabinoside on days 2, 3, and 4, on days, 4, 5, and 6, on days 7, 8, and 9, and on days 10, 11, and 12, and designated as group I, II, III, and IV, respectively.

In group I, disarrangement of Purkinje cells and heterotopic granule cells in the molecular layer were observed on all lobes of cerebellum. Heterotopic granule cells were seen on all lobes in group II, whereas disarrangement of Purkinje cells was observed only in the region from the anterior to middle lobes. In group III, heterotopic granule cells were limited to the area from anterior to middle lobes, but there was no disarrangement of Purkinje cells. Group IV cerebellum did not show abnormal cytoarchitecture.

Golgi-Cox studies showed abnormal arborization of Purkinje cells in each experimental group. They were arbitrarily classified into inverted Purkinje cells, lying Purkinje cells, T-shaped Purkinje cells, and poorly arborized Purkinje cells. The earlier the postnatal treatment the more severe were the abnormalities of Purkinje cell dendrite.

According to the electron-microscopic study, some glomerular synaptic complexes, which are normally confined to the internal granular layer, were observed even in the molecular layer in groups I, II, and III. Some of the Purkinje cell dentritic spines did not make synapses with parallel fibers in any of the experimental groups.

The results indicate that severity of abnormal arborization of Purkinje cells is dependent on the period of destruction of the external granular layer. Formation of heterotopic granule cells was dependent on the destruction of the external granular layer up to day 10 after birth.