Increased Neuronal Nuclear and Perikaryal Size in the Medial Mamillary Nucleus of Vascular Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease Patients: Relation to Nuclear Estrogen Receptor αстатья
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Дата последнего поиска статьи во внешних источниках: 11 ноября 2019 г.
Аннотация:nuclei are important hubs in memory circuits. Previous studies determining the neuronal
Golgi complex size showed decreased metabolic activity of the TMN neurons in both Alzheimer’s
disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VD), and no obvious decline in the MMN of these
patients. Objectives: In the present study, we aimed at determining whether other morphometric
parameters that are informative about the neuronal metabolic activity are changed in
the MMN of AD and VD patients and whether they can be related to the expression of the
nuclear estrogen receptor α (ERα) that can mediate neurotrophic effects of estrogens in the
brain. Method: The size of neuronal nuclei and perikarya was determined in AD, VD, and nondemented
control patients, in relation to the expression of the nuclear ERα. Results: We found
that neuronal nuclear and perikaryal sizes were significantly larger in the MMN in VD than in
control patients (p < 0.01). Neuronal nuclei (p < 0.05), but not perikarya were larger in AD than
in control patients. Neuronal nuclei and perikarya were larger if nuclear ERα staining was present.
The intensity of ERα in the neuronal nuclei was significantly correlated with both nuclear
and perikaryal sizes (p < 0.007). Conclusions: The human MMN shows a remarkable activation
in aging and extra activation in dementias (AD and VD) that may be mediated by nuclear
ERα. This makes it so far a unique brain area to study compensatory mechanisms that may
prevent neurodegeneration.