Cortical Lewy body-containing neurons are pyramidal cells: laser confocal imaging of double-immunolabeled sections with anti-ubiquitin and SMI32

Acta Neuropathol. 1995;89(5):404-8. doi: 10.1007/BF00307643.

Abstract

To characterize neurons containing cortical Lewy bodies (LBs), vibratome sections of the superior temporal cortex from eight patients with the LB variant of Alzheimer's disease (LBV) were double-immunolabeled with anti-ubiquitin (a marker of LBs) and anti-nonphosphorylated neurofilament (SMI32; a marker of pyramidal cells) or parvalbumin (PV; a marker of interneurons) and were viewed with a laser-scanning confocal microscope. Almost all (96.1%) the LB-containing neurons were positive for SMI32, but not for PV. Furthermore, the average numbers of SMI32-immunoreactive neurons in layers 3 and 5 were 63% and 77% of those in controls, respectively. PV-immunoreactive neurons showed a greater than 40% decrease. These findings indicate that cortical LB-containing neurons are pyramidal cells and suggest that in LBV, there may be some differences in the degenerative processes effecting pyramidal cells and interneurons.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Alzheimer Disease / immunology
  • Alzheimer Disease / pathology
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Cerebral Cortex / immunology
  • Cerebral Cortex / ultrastructure*
  • Fluorescent Antibody Technique
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Lewy Bodies / immunology
  • Lewy Bodies / ultrastructure*
  • Microscopy, Confocal
  • Neurofilament Proteins / immunology
  • Parvalbumins / immunology
  • Pyramidal Cells / immunology
  • Pyramidal Cells / ultrastructure*
  • Ubiquitins / immunology*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Neurofilament Proteins
  • Parvalbumins
  • Ubiquitins