Elsevier

Neurobiology of Aging

Volume 15, Issue 1, January–February 1994, Pages 1-9
Neurobiology of Aging

Amyloid plaques in cerebellar cortex and the integrity of Purkinje cell dendrites

https://doi.org/10.1016/0197-4580(94)90139-2Get rights and content

Abstract

We probed serial and near serial sections of cerebellum from 13 Alzheimer's disease (AD), 10 older Down's syndrome (DS) patients, and 9 age-matched, non-AD controls, using single and double labeling immunohistochemistry to investigate the pathologic consequences of β-amyloid or A4 (Aβ) deposits in cerebellum and their relationship to Purkinje cells (PCs). Our data showed that Aβ deposits in cerebellum of AD and older DS adults only form diffuse or preamyloid plaques and the density of Aβ lesions per unit area of molecular layer correlated with the number of PCs per unit length of the subjacent PC layer in double immunostained sections (r = 0.85; p < 0.001). About 65% of these cerebellar Aβ deposits were in physical contact with PC dendrites. No Aβ plaques were found in the cerebellum of controls. Despite the abundance of Aβ deposits in the cerebellar cortex of AD and older DS patients, neither PC bodies nor PC dendrites in physical contact with Aβ lesions showed evidence of structural abnormalities.

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