Chronic neurological diseases: their societal burdens and potential solutions.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to D L Price.
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Neurofilamentous axonal swellings occur in a number of degenerative and toxic disorders of the nervous system. In one of these, experimental intoxication with beta, beta'-iminodiproprionitrile (IDPN), accumulation of neurofilaments has been shown to result from a defect in slow axonal transport. The consequence of this functional abnormality is a series of changes in axonal morphology: Neurofilaments accumulate in the proximal axon; the proximal axon becomes swollen; the distal axon loses volume (axonal atrophy). These studies indicate that axonal atrophy occurs secondary to an impairment of slow axonal transport and suggest that a similar abnormality may underlie the pathological changes in certain other degenerative and toxic diseases of the nervous system.
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A progressive neurologic disease was identified in a family of closely related Britanny Spaniel dogs. The disease developed in dogs less than 1 year old and characteristically resulted in paraspinal and proximal pelvic limb muscular atrophy. Neurologic examination, electrodiagnostic testing, and histologic studies indicated that the disease results from motor horn cell degeneration. A colony of affected dogs was established, and breeding studies incriminated an inherited basis for the disease.
The effects of chronic lead intoxication were studied by examining the optic nerve of mice given lead-containing mother's milk from day 1 to day 21 of life. Biochemical assays for myelin basic protein, 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide phosphodieterase, and cerebroside sulfotransferase showed that the total amount of myelin produced by the lead-exposed animals was decreased. Lead exposure did not alter the number of oligodendroglia or the relationship between axons and myelin sheaths. The hypomyelination was paralleled by a reduction in size of optic axons in the lead-exposed animals. The data suggest that chronic exposure to lead in developing mice results in a primary effect on neurons and that hypomyelination is secondary to reduction in axon size.
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With the use of the two types of fixtures described in this paper and some precautions taken to reduce glare, the quality of lighting in the dental operatory can be improved.
beta,beta'-Iminodipropionitrile (IDPN) administration prevented normal slow axonal transport of [35S]methionine- or [3H]leucine-labeled proteins in rat sciatic motor axons. Ultrastructural and electrophoretic studies showed that the neurofilament triplet proteins in particular were retained within the initial 5 millimeters of the axons, resulting in neurofilament-filled axonal swellings. Fast anterograde and retrograde axonal transport were not affected. The IDPN thus selectively impaired slow axonal transport. The neurofibrillary pathology in this model is the result of the defective slow transport of neurofilaments.
This ultrastructural study of the embryonic chick spinal cord was designed to determine whether intersegmental inputs are formed before the closure of the reflex arc. Lesions were made in the thoracic cord of chick embryos at five days of incubation, when synapses are present in the ventral half of the cord, but before dorsal root afferents have made contacts in the central nervous system. Axons degenerating were observed in the upper brachial and lower lumbar regions of embryos sacrificed two days later. Synapses exhibiting degenerative changes were present up to six segments above and below the lesion. These observations were interpreted to indicate that: (1) intersegmental fibers connect the thoracic cord to brachial and lumbar areas by the fifth day of incubation; (2) early synapses contain both segmental and intersegmental connections; and (3) some intersegmental connections occur prior to the closure of the reflex arc. These morphologic studies, in conjunction with behavioral and electrophysiological data, strongly suggest that the early intersegmental connections are part of the propriospinal system. The development of these intersegmental tracts coincides with the onset of movement and thus provides an anatomical substrate for understanding embryonic motility.
Infection of mice with the JHM strain of mouse hepatitis virus causes demyelination as a result of a cytolytic infection of oligodendroglia. In recovery, animals show remyelination, which could result either from surviving oligodendrocytes extending their territory or by generation of new oligodendroglia. Electron microscopic autoradiographic studies with 3H-labeled thymidine demonstrate that the cells associated with remyelination are newly generated oligodendroglia.
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Morphological, autoradiographic, and biochemical methods were used to study the time of appearance, distribution, and nature of sulfated constituents in the developing rat optic nerve. Electron microscope studies showed that myelination begins (6 days postnatal) shortly after the appearance of oligodendroglia (5 days postnatal). Over the ensuing 3 wk, myelination increased rapidly. During the 1st postnatal wk, mucopolysaccharides and glycoproteins were labeled with 35S and autoradiographs showed grains over arachnoidal cells, astroglia, and the glia limitans. These results indicated that astroglia synthesize sulfated mucopolysaccharides of the glia limitans. After the onset of myelination, however, the major portion of [35S]sulfate was incorporated into sulfatide. Autoradiographs showed a shift of radioactive grains from astroglia and arachnoidal cells to myelin, indicating that actively myelinating oligodendroglia incorporate [35S]sulfate into myelin sulfatide; there was a concomitant increase in the activity of cerebroside sulfotransferase. In addition, the increasing amounts of proteolipid protein and myelin basic protein corresponded with the morphological appearance of myelin. These results point to a strict correlation between the structural and biochemical changes occurring during myelination. This system provides a useful model for studies designed to evaluate the effects of various perturbations on the process of myelination.
Electron microscopy and 3H-thymidine autoradiographic techniques were used to study the fine structure of proliferating cells in developing rat optic nerve. Before the closure of the optic canal almost all of the cells incorporating radioactive thymidine are ventricular cells, but after closure (16 days of gestation) the vast majority are differentiating astroblasts or oligodendroblasts. Labeled astroblasts show a range in their degree of differentiation; some cells lack 90 A cytoplasmic filaments while others have glial filaments and abundant cytoplasmic organelles. In contrast to astroblasts, all of the labeled oligodendroblasts are in the early stages of differentiation. The proliferation of oligodendroblasts starts at five days postnatal, approximately a day or two before the onset of myelination.During myelinogenesis a few of the labeled oligodendroblasts show presumptive connections to myelin sheaths. Microglial cells do not appear to play a major role in gliogenesis since they form less than 2% of all the labeled cells. The results of this study indicate that astroblasts and oligodendroblasts, rather than undifferentiated glioblasts, are the major source of macroglia. The finding that proliferating glia are in the processof differentiation agrees with recent studies which show that differentiated cells can divide.
The time of origin for astrocytes and oligodendrocytes in rat optic nerve was studied by 3H-thymidine autoradiographic techniques similar to those used in dating the time of origin for neurons. This study shows that astrocytes are formed throughout late embryonic and all of postnatal development, while oligodendrocytes are generated only during the postnatal period. A few astroglia undergo their final cell division as early as 15.5 days of gestation, but most astrocytes are not generated until the first week of postnatal development. Although the final cell division for more than half of the astrocytes takes place before the end of the first postnatal week, fully mature, fibrous astrocytes are not observed in electron micrographs until after 14 days of age. This time lag implies that the differentiation of these early generated cells takes place gradually over a 2-to 3-week interval. Oligodendroglia begin their final division a day or two before the onset of myelination (6-7 days postnatal), but the vast majority are produced during the period of myelinogenesis. After almost all of the axons have been myelinated, oligodendrocytes are still being generated in small numbers. These late forming cells are generally less differentiated in appearance than those formed earlier; this suggests that the degree of differentiated of oligodendrocytes may be dependent upon the number of axons available for myelination. As with astrocytes, oligodendrocytes show a lag of about two weeks from the time of final cell division until they transform into morphologically differentiated cells. In transverse sections of the optic nerve heavily labeled neuroglia are randomly distributed, indicating there are no temporal-radial gradients for the individual cell types. This observation taken together with the other information obtained from the present and the previous study (Stoff et al., '76) strongly suggest that the factors controlling gliogenesis are different from those governing neuronogenesis.
The mechanism of action of botulinum toxin was analyzed by the use of calcium ionophores and black widow spider venom. Addition of calcium ionophores to nerve-muscle preparations blocked by botulinum toxin did not increase the frequency of miniature end plate potentials. However, the spider venom elicited a barrage of miniature end plate potentials after blockade by botulinum. Electron micrographs of preparations treated with botulinum toxin and then the spider venom revealed clumping of synaptic vesicles at release sites in the otherwise depleted nerve terminals. These findings indicate that the action of botulinum toxin is not due to deficient storage of acetylcholine in vesicles or blockade of calcium entry into nerve terminals. They suggest that the toxin interferes with the acetylcholine release process itself, possibly by blocking exocytosis at the release sites.
Chronic communicating hydrocephalus was produced in adult dogs by injection of silastic into the subarachnoid space. Electron microscopy was used to verify the sequence of pathologic changes in the ventricular wall. The pathologic findings were correlated with cisternographic images and measurements of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure. Early in hydrocephalus, the CSF pressure was increased and cisternograms showed ventricular entry and clearing; the ependyma was stretched and fluid accumulated in subependymal regions. In animals with chronic hydrocephalus, the CSF pressure was normal and cisternograms disclosed radioactivity persisting in the ventricles. At this time the ependyma was severely damaged, the subependymal white matter showed enlargement of the extracellular space, and degenerative changes were present in axons and myelin sheaths.
Immobilization of the embryo has been postulated to cause the joint deformities in arthrogryposis multiplex congenita (AMC). Experimental damage to the motor neurons or pharmacologic blockade of neuromuscular transmission has previously resulted in typical joint changes of AMC. In the present investigation, we have studied the effects of paralysis produced by a viral myopathy on joint development. Coxsackievirus A2 was injected intravenously into chick embryos on the seventh day of incubation. Within 48 hours, severe myositis and paralysis resulted. Electron microscopical and immunofluorescence techniques demonstrated virus in muscle cells. Within three to four days after infection, the muscle had virtually disappeared. Ankylosis of joints, corresponding to that seen in human AMC, occurred. This study shows that primary myopathy with paralysis can produce arthrogrypotic joint deformities. The possibility of a viral etiologic factor in some human cases of AMC should be considered.