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Selective vulnerability of pigmented dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson's disease
Author(s) -
Hirsch E. C.,
Graybiel A. M.,
Agid Y.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
acta neurologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.967
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1600-0404
pISSN - 0001-6314
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0404.1989.tb01778.x
Subject(s) - substantia nigra , neuromelanin , tyrosine hydroxylase , dopaminergic , parkinson's disease , catecholaminergic cell groups , neuroscience , catecholaminergic , pathology , neuron , disease , midbrain , dopamine , lewy body , medicine , biology , central nervous system
– From a neuropathological point, the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease is confirmed by a neuronal cell loss and the presence of Lewy bodies in the substantia nigra. In Parkinson's disease, the precise type of nigral neuron which degenerate still remains unknown. Are all types of neuron similarly injured, are only subpopulations of neurons vulnerable? In an attempt to answer the question, a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the distribution of dopaminergic cells, as identified by immunohistochemistry with a specific antibody against tyrosine hydroxylase, was performed in the ventral mesencephalon of control subjects and patients died with a clinical diagnostic of Parkinson's disease. In control brains, two types of catecholaminergic neurons were evidenced, some contain visible‐neuromelanin other do not. In patients with Parkinson's disease, the tyrosine hydroxylase positive cells which contained the pigment were the most vulnerable.