bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
How to detect gold, silver and mercury in human brain and other tissues by autometallographic silver amplification
Authors: Danscher G. , Stoltenberg M. , Juhl S. 
Published: May 2008

Gold, silver, mercury and zinc bind chemically to sulphide or selenide ions and create crystal lattices that can be detected in histological sections by a silver amplification technique called autometallography (AMG). The technique specifically magnifies such nanometer–sized catalytic crystals. For each metal, a detailed protocol has been worked out. If several different AMG metals/metal molecules are present in the same tissue, it is possible to distinguish one from another. The AMG technique is based on the capability of small crystal lattices of the aforementioned metals and metal molecules to initiate AMG silver amplification. Electrons released from adhering hydroquinone molecules reduce silver ions that are integrally connected with the crystal lattices. In this manner, particles consisting of only a few atoms of, say, gold, or molecules of mercury selenide (Figure 1), can be silver amplified to a size at which they can be detected in the electron microscope, or even further to dimensions that can be observed in the light microscope. Thus the AMG technique opens up the possibility of visualizing gold, e.g. in the nervous system of rheumatic patients who have been treated with aurothiomalate. Mercury can similarly be visualized in tissues from individuals who have been exposed to mercury, either through leaching from amalgam dental fillings, through eating fish, or by occupational exposure, and silver in the central (CNS) and peripheral nervous systems (PNS) and other tissues from individuals exposed to silver in one form or another.In the future, the possibility of demonstrating vesicular zinc, a particular pool of endogenous zinc that is found in terminals of zinc–enriched neurons (ZEN neurons), might prove valuable for pathological interpretation of diseases such as Alzheimer's disease The vesicular zinc, present in some of the synaptic vesicles of ZEN neuron terminals, is most impressively demonstrated by AMG in telencephalic structures. It is becoming increasingly indisputable that vesicular zinc is related to synaptic activity influencing or modulating facilitatory synapses. ZEN neurons are probably a sub–population of glutaminergic neurons. A technique for the post–mortem demonstration of vesicular zinc in terminals of ZEN neurons in human brains is therefore urgently required.
Transthyretin expression in medulloblastomas and medulloblastoma cell lines
Authors: Albrecht S. , Bayer T. A. , Kraus J. A. , Pietsch T. 
Published: May 2008

Transthyretin is a protein crucial to the transport of lipophilic molecules such as thyroid hormones and retinoids. In the central nervous system. large amounts of transthyretin are synthesized by the choroid plexus and are secreted into the cerebrospinal fluid. The choroid plexus is the only site of transthyretin synthesis in the brain. Transthyretin is expressed by most benign and malignant choroid plexus tumours while gliomas and meningiomas do not express transthyretin. Other major sites of transthyretin synthesis are the retinal pigment epithelium and hepatocytes. Medulloblastoma is the prototypical primitive neuroectodermal tumour of the cerebellum and can show multiple lines of differentiation, including the expression of retinal markers. In this study, we examined transthyretin expression both at the RNA and protein level in four medulloblastomas and six medulloblastoma cell lines using Northern and Western blot analysis. reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RNA in sitri hybridization, and immuno‐histochemistry. All four medulloblastomas and five of the six medulloblastoma cell lines expressed transthyretin‐mRNA as demonstrated by reverse PCR and iu situ hybridization while three medulloblastomas and one cell line were positive on Northern blot. The medulloblastoma with the most abundant RNA expression was transthyretin‐immunoreactive on cryosections and the medulloblastoma cell line that was positive on Northern blot also expressed transthyretin at levels detectable by Western blot. No transthyretin‐immunoreactivity was seen in 16 additional medulloblastomas studied on paraffin sections. These findings indicate that low‐level expression of transthyretin‐mRNA is common in medulloblastomas and medulloblastoma cell lines.Expression of transthyretin protein occurs rarely but can reach significant levels. Transthyretin expression in medulloblastoma is consistent with retinal pigment epithelium differentiation in medulloblastomas and reflects their pluripotential nature. Furthermore, the potential for transthyretin‐immunoreactivity in medulloblastoma should be kept in mind when performing immunohistochemical studies on poorly differentiated cerebellar tumours.
mRNA for NGF and p75 in the central nervous system of rats affected by experimental allergic encephalomyelitis
Authors: Simone R. De , Micera A. , Tirassa P. , Aloe L. 
Published: May 2008

R. De Simone, A. Micera, P. Tirassa and L. Aloe (1996) Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology 22, 54‐59 mRNA for NGF and p75 in the central nervous system of rats affected by experimental allergic encephalomyelitisIn this study we measured the concentration of nerve growth factor (NGF) and the expression of NGF and the low affinity NGF‐receptor (NGF‐r) mRNA in the central nervous system (CNS) of rats affected by experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) during the acute phase of the disease. Significant levels of NGF protein were found in thalamus and cortex on day 13 postimmunization. Molecular analysis of the NGF gene expression and of its NGF‐r revealed that they were enhanced in several regions of the CNS of EAE rats when compared with untreated animals. These results suggest a functional link between local NGF synthesis and this autoimmune inflammatory disease.
Lectin histochemistry, ploidy level and proliferation indices in meningioma subtypes
Authors: Salmon I. , Cambyt I. , Remmelinck M. , Rombautt K. , Pasteels J.‐L , Brotchi J. , Kisssp R. , Danguy A. 
Published: May 2008

I. Salmon, I. Camby, M. Remmelinck, K. Rombaut, J.‐L. Pasteels, J. Brotchi, R. Kiss and A. Danguy (1996) Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology 22, 68–76Lectin histochemistry, ploidy level and proliferation indices in meningioma subtypesThe glycohistochemical expression of binding sites for eight lectins is characterized in a series of 15 meningothelial, 10 fibroblastic and 15 transitional meningiomas. The correlation between lectin staining and either the proliferation index or ploidy level has also been investigated. The data show that the cytochemical binding of some lectins is of value in distinguishing between the different meningioma subgroups. For example, fibroblastic meningiomas express significantly higher amounts of wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) and Ulex europaeus agglutinin (UEA‐I) than the meningothelial sub‐type. Diploid tumours express a higher glycine maximus (SBA), Arachis hypogaea (PNA) and Phaseolus vulgaris leukoagglutinin (PHA‐L) binding than aneuploid tumours. These differences are probably due to the modification of post‐transcriptional glycosylation events linked to tumour ageing. The data also reveal that the increased binding of PHA‐L is inversely correlated with the proliferation indices of the tumours.
Immunocytochemically detectable metallothionein is expressed by astrocytes in the ischaemic human brain
Authors: Neal J. W. , Singhrao S. K. , Jasanit B. , Newman G. R. 
Published: May 2008

Immunocytochemically detectable metallothionein is expressed by astrocytes in the ischaemic human brainThe metallothioneins in vitro are both effective free radical and transitional metal ion scavengers. For this reason we investigated the expression of this protein in the normal CNS and after ischaemia using a monoclonal anti‐metallothionein antibody to metallothionein isoforms I and II. Using immunohistochemistry and confocal laser scanning microscopy, we found anti‐GFAP and anti‐metallothionein were co‐localized in astrocytes at the edges of infarcts. Energy dispersive X‐ray micro‐analysis demonstrated high levels of copper and iron in the metallothionein positive reactive astrocytes. On the basis of the in vitro properties of these proteins, the functional importance of metallothionein in reactive astrocytes could be as a free radical scavenger and metal ion chelator.
Apoptosis in perinatal hypoxic‐ischaemic cerebral damage
Authors: Edwards A. D. , Mehmet H. 
Published: May 2008

SummaryPerinatal hypoxia‐ischaemia induces a biphasic cerebral injury: the depletion in high energy phosphates during the insult returns to normal soon after resuscitation. However, some 8–15 h later a second phase of impaired energy metabolism begins, which is related to the severity of later neurodevelopmental impairment. Delayed injury differs from acute hypoxia‐ischaemia because intracellular acidosis does not occur. Apoptosis may be a mechanism of delayed cellular injury. Apoptotic cells and typical DNA fragmentation have been found after perinatal hypoxia‐ischaemia. In newborn piglets, fraction of apoptotic cells was directly related to the degree of high energy phosphate depletion during hypoxia‐ischaemia. Apoptosis may be interrupted: in piglets, brain cooling for 12 h following resuscitation reduced the fraction of apoptotic but not necrotic cells. These results have implications for both the understanding of cerebral injury and the use of hypothermia as a neural rescue strategy in the developing brain.
Developmental spectrum of the excitotoxic cascade induced by ibotenate: a model of hypoxic insults in fetuses and neonates
Authors: Gressens P. , Marret S. , Evrard P. 
Published: May 2008

SummaryIbotenate, a glutamatergic agonist, was used to study the spectrum of excitoxic disturbances at different ages of cerebral development. Cultures of whole mouse embryo were submitted to ibotenate at E8 for 20 h: during the phase of early premigratory differentiation; ibotenate did not induce any detectable histological lesion. During migration of supragranular neurons, newborn hamsters intracerebrally injected at P0 with ibotenate display neuronal migration disorders graded from nodular heterotopias to extensive laminar heterotopias mimicking some aspects of lissencephalic and double‐cortex syndromes. After completion of neuronal layer V, P0 mice injected with ibotenate exhibit laminar neuronal depopulation of layer V‐VIa mimicking human micro‐gyria. At P5 in mouse, after completion of neuronal migration of the cortical plate, ibotenate induces neuronal loss in all cortical layers and the formation of porencephalic cysts. This study emphasizes the dramatic role played by glutamate in brain development, in the occurrence of neuronal migration disorders in the cortex. and in grey and white matter damage.
Selective damage to the cerebellar vermis in chronic alcoholism: a contribution from neurotoxicology to an old problem of selective vulnerability
Authors: Cavanagh J. B. , Holton J. L. , Nolan C. C. 
Published: May 2008

J. B. Cavanagh, J. L. Holton and C. C. Nolan (1997) Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology23, 355–363Selective damage to the cerebellar vermis in chronic alcoholism: a contribution from neurotoxicology to an old problem of selective vulnerabilityThe curiously consistent localization of cerebellar cortical damage in chronic alcoholism is re‐evaluated in the light of selective damage, with a similar topography in the cerebellar vermal region, in superficial siderosis in man and in experimental animals exposed to certain toxic substances. Attention is drawn to the capacity for Purkinje cell dendrites and Bergmann glia to extract materials from the CSF, and to the close anatomical relationships of the susceptible lobules I‐II, IX and X to the roof of the IVth ventricle and to the cistern of the great cerebral veins. This restriction of damage to vermis and paravermis may reflect some compartmentalization of CSF flow within leptomeninges, consistently increasing exposure of these cerebellar surfaces to materials circulating in the CSF. In other circumstances when this pattern of damage is encountered it raises the question as to whether other environmental agents, gaining access to the CSF, may be similarly distributed.
Sub‐acute cerebellar degeneration with anti‐Yo autoantibodies: immunohistochemical analysis of the immune reaction in the central nervous system
Authors: Giometto B. , Marchiori* G. C. , Nicolao P. , Scaravilli T. , Lion A. , Bardin* P. G. , Tavolato B. 
Published: May 2008

B. Giometto, G. C. Marchiori, P. Nicolao, T. Scaravilli, A. Lion, P. G. Bardin and B. Tavolato (1997) Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology, 23, 468–474Sub‐acute cerebellar degeneration without any anti‐Yo autoantibodies: immunomstochemical analysis of the immune reaction in the central nervous systemWe report the pathological findings of a woman with a sub‐acute cerebellar syndrome who had undergone surgery 3 years before for endometrial carcinoma. Both serum and cerebrospinal fluid contained high titres of autoantibodies against the cytoplasm of Purkinje cells that recognized a band of 62 kDa on immunoblotting of neuronal extracted proteins (pattern anti‐Yo). No tumour was found despite a full range of gynaecological investigations; the neoplastic marker CA125 was slightly elevated and oligoclonal bands were detected in the cerebrospinal fluid. The patient died from acute myocardial infarction 4 months after developing this syndrome. At autopsy, no macroscopic evidence of tumour was obtained and the brain showed no abnormalities. On microscopic examination of the central nervous system diffuse degeneration of Purkinje cells could be seen throughout the cerebellum. Immunohistochemical analysis showed a CD8 lymphocyte infiltration in the cerebellum and cerebral cortex and diffuse microglial activation throughout the brain. These cells expressed high levels of MHC‐II antigens on their cell membranes. The serum autoantibodies reacted with the cytoplasm of the remaining Purkinje cells. The short interval between the onset of symptoms and death of the patient could explain the difference between our findings and those reported in the literature in which no inflammatory infiltrates were detected. The immunohistochemical findings as well as the inflammatory cerebrospinal fluid profile seen in our case seem to support the concept that in paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration with anti‐Yo antibodies, an immune mediated mechanism is responsible for the damage to the cerebellum.
Expression of myogenic regulatory factors (MRFs) in human neuromuscular disorders
Authors: Olivé M. , Martinez‐Matos J. A. , Pirretas P. , Povedano M. , Navarro C. , Ferrer I. 
Published: May 2008

M. Olivé, J. A. Martínez‐Matos, P. Pirretas, M. Povedano, C. Navarro and I. Ferrer (1997) Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology 23, 475–482Expression of myogenic regulatory factors (MRFs) in human neuromuscular disordersImmunohistochemical studies using antibodies to myogenic regulatory factors (MRFs) Myo D, myogenin, myf‐5, and myf‐6, and transcription factors c‐Fos and c‐Jun, were performed on muscle biopsies from patients suffering from Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies, polymyositis, and denervation atrophy, to investigate whether expression of these factors occurs during degeneration and regeneration of adult muscle fibres. Strong Myo D, myogenin, myf‐5 and myf‐6 immunoreactivity was observed in the nuclei of small regenerating fibres and satellite cells, as revealed by double‐labelling immunohistochemistry with N‐CAM antibodies, in Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies and in polymyositis. This suggests that the myogenic programme is activated during regeneration of adult human muscle fibres. In addition, strong myf‐6 and c‐Jun immunoreactivity was found in the cytoplasm of some necrotic muscle fibres in patients with Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies and in patients with polymyositis. The latter findings suggest that strong cytoplasmic expression of myf‐6 and c‐Jun is related to the process of muscle fibre degeneration that occurs in these conditions. Increased Myo D, myogenin, myf‐5 and myf‐6 immunoreactivity was not observed in the nuclei of denervated muscle fibres, although strong c‐Fos and c‐Jun immunoreactivity was seen in the nuclei of denervated muscle fibres; this suggests that denervation triggers the expression of these transcription factors. Taken together, these observations demonstrate that MRFs and c‐Fos and c‐Jun are selectively expressed in different human muscular disorders.
Relationship between apolipoprotein E and the amyloid deposits and dystrophic neurites of Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Dickson T. C. , Saunders H. L. , Vickers J. C. 
Published: May 2008

T. C. Dickson, H. L. Saunders and J. C. Vickers (1997) Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology, 23, 483–491Relationship between apolipoprotein E and the amyloid deposits and dystrophic neurites of Alzheimer's diseaseAlthough the inheritance of certain apolipoprotein E (ApoE) alleles has been recognized as a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, the role of ApoE in the pathology underlying this disease is unclear. Several reports have emphasized the association of ApoE with either β‐amyloid plaque formation or the development of neurofibrillary pathology. Utilization of multiple label immunohistochemical methods enabled us to examine directly the localization of ApoE immunoreactivity relative to β‐ amyloid plaques, dystrophic neurites and neurofibrillary tangles. In Alzheimer's disease cases, β‐amyloid plaques showing high ApoE immunoreactivity were localized to layers II, III and V of the neocortex. In layer I, β‐amyloid plaques were unlabelled for ApoE relative to β‐amyloid. Dense core plaques labelled for β‐amyloid often had only the central portions labelled for ApoE. Conversely, ApoE labelled spherical structures within some plaques were not immunoreactive for β‐amyloid or dystrophic neurite markers. Unlike β‐amyloid labelled plaques, all ApoE immunoreactive plaques were associated with dystrophic neurites. In preclinical Alzheimer's disease cases, most plaques were double labelled for β‐amyloid and ApoE. ApoE did not label dystrophic neurites or the early stages of neurofibrillary tangle formation, indicating that ApoE may not be directly involved in neurofibrillary pathology. The specific presence of ApoE in plaques associated with dystrophic neurites in demented patients suggests that ApoE may contribute toward a higher degree of β‐ amyloid fibrillogenesis, enhancing the ability of certain plaques to cause damage to surrounding axons.
Significant loss of pyramidal neurons in the angular gyrus of patients with Huntington's disease
Authors: Macdonald V. , Halliday G.M. , Trent R.J. , McCusker E.A. 
Published: May 2008

V. Macdonald, G.M. Halliday, R.J. Trent and E.A. McCusker (1997) Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology 23, 492–495Significant loss of pyramidal neurons in the angular gyrus of patients with Huntington's diseaseThe primary site of pathology in Huntington's disease (HD) is the caudate nucleus. However, cortical changes are also commonly reported. While many researchers have studied pathology in the frontal lobe, little attention has been paid to posterior cortical regions. The aim of this study is to examine pathology in the parietal lobe in patients with HD as it has specific projections to the caudate nucleus. Post‐mortem brain tissue was obtained from HD patients with both a positive family history and clinicopathological diagnosis (n=6; Vonsattel grades 2–4) as well as from neurologically normal controls (n=6). The angular gyrus of the parietal lobe was sampled and cellular quantification of SMI‐32 immunohistochemically detected pyramidal neurons performed. Cortical blocks were sectioned at 50 μm on a cryostat and stained immunohistochemically using antigen retrieval methods and peroxidase visualization. HD subjects had noticeable histological changes including smaller neurons and a disruption of cortical laminar pattern. Quantification using a point counting method to find the areal fraction of immunoreactive neurons revealed a severe loss of pyramidal neurons in the angular gyrus of HD subjects compared with controls (reduced on average to 55% of mean control values, P= 0.038 using the Mann–Whitney U‐test). This striking cortical pathology suggests that HD may preferentially target posterior cortical regions, particularly the angular gyrus which has a significant projection to the caudate nucleus in primates.
Microbially mediated carbonates in the Holocene deposits from Sarliève, a small ancient lake of the French Massif Central, testify to the evolution of a restricted environment
Authors: BRÉHÉRET JEAN‐GABRIEL , FOURMONT AGATHE , MACAIRE JEAN‐JACQUES , NÉGREL PHILIPPE 
Published: May 2008

AbstractBoth the mineralogy and facies of lacustrine bio‐induced carbonates are controlled largely by hydrological factors that are highly dependent upon climatic influence. As such they are useful tools in characterizing ancient lake environments. In this way, the study of the sedimentary record from the small ancient Sarliève Lake (Limagne, Massif Central, France) aims to reconstruct the hydrological evolution during the Holocene, using petrographical, mineralogical and geochemical analyses. The fine‐grained marls, mainly calcitic, display numerous layers rich in pristine Ca‐dolomite, with small amounts of aragonite, which are clearly autochthonous. As these minerals are rather unusual in the temperate climatic context of western Europe, the question arises about their forming conditions, and therefore that of the lacustrine environment. Ca‐dolomite prevails at the base of the sequence as a massive dolomicrite layer and, in the middle part, it builds up most of the numerous laminae closely associated with organic matter. Scanning electron microscope observations reveal the abundance of tiny crystals (tens to hundreds of nanometres) mainly organized as microspheres looking like cocci or bacilli. Such a facies is interpreted as resulting from the fossilization of benthic microbial communities by dolomite precipitation following organic matter consumption and extracellular polymeric substance degradation. These microbial dolomites were precipitated in a saline environment, as a consequence of excess evaporation from the system, as is also suggested by their positive ∂18O values. The facies sequence expresses the following evolution: (i) saline pan, i.e. endorheic stage with a perennial lowstand in lake level (Boreal to early Atlantic periods); (ii) large fluctuations in lake level with sporadic freshening of the system (Atlantic); (iii) open lake stage (sub‐boreal); and (iv) anthropogenic drainage (sub‐Atlantic).