Purkinje cell dendritic and axonal processes: a computer — assisted analysis of HRP stained neurons in organotypic cerebellar cultures

The ef fects of a f ferent f i be r depletions on the f i na l arrangement of the Purkinje ce l l dendr i t i c tree were analyzed in HRP stained mature neurons grown in organotypic cu l tures from new-born k i t tens . Three d i f f e r e n t l y deafferented models were thus studied by computer assisted methods. The i s t model lacked both Paral le l f ibers (PF) and Climbing f ibers (CF) (MAM treated standard cerebel lar exp lant ) . The 2nd model lacked only CF (standard cerebel lar explant grown in normal nu t r ien t medium). The 3rd model lacked only PF (cerebel lar explant co-cultured with i n f e r i o r o l i vary nucleus and MAM treated) . Three dimensional data were measured and stored on a v i deo computer microscope. A s t a t i s t i c a l analysis of the morphological character is t ics was performed by taking in to account sixteen measurable parameters. A l l dendr i t i c trees were markedly reduced in size when compared to other in vivo deafferented models. This reduction was caused by a decrease in to ta l dendr i t i c length and to ta l number of segments. I t was the model lacking only PF which showed the shortest dendr i t i c length and the smallest dendr i t i c areas and volumesAdiscr iminant analysis allowed a clear recogn i t ion of three populations corresponding to the three models and based on three selected variables : dendr i t i c f i e l d area, mean distance of terminals to soma and to ta l number of dendr i t i c segments.