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Kollai S, Bereczki D, Glasz T, Hortobágyi T, Kovács T. Early histopathological changes of secondary degeneration in the spinal cord after total MCA territory stroke. Sci Rep 2023; 13:21934. [PMID: 38082027 PMCID: PMC10713562 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-49230-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous research has not demonstrated secondary degeneration of the spinal cord (SpC) motoneurons after cerebral infarct. The aim of the present study is to investigate the involvement of the anterior horn cells (AHC) in the early post-stroke period using histomorphological and immunohistochemical methods. Post-mortem analysis of the 6th cervical segment was performed in 7 patients who had total MCA stroke within 1 month before death. Nissl-stained sections were used for morphometry, while CD68 and synaptophysin (SYP) immunohistochemistry to monitor microglial activation and synaptic changes in the anterior horn (AH), respectively. Contralateral to the cerebral lesion (contralesional side), cells were smaller after 3 days and larger after 1 week of stroke, especially regarding the large alpha motoneurons. CD68 density increased mainly on the contralesional Rexed's IX lamina of the SpC. SYP coverage of the large motoneurons was reduced on the contralesional side. Early microglial activation in the AH and electrophysiological signs has suggested the possibility of impairment of anterior horn cells (AHC-s). Our study supported that early microglial activation in the contralesional side of the SpC may primarily affect the area corresponding to the location of large motoneurons, and is accompanied by a transient shrinkage followed by increase in size of the large AHC-s with a reduction of their synaptic coverage. After MCA stroke, early involvement of the SpC motoneurons may be suspected by their morphological and synaptic changes and by the pattern of microglial activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarolta Kollai
- Department of Neurology, Semmelweis University, Balassa U. 6, Budapest, 1083, Hungary
- Károly Schaffer Laboratory of Neuropathology, Department of Neurology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Dániel Bereczki
- Department of Neurology, Semmelweis University, Balassa U. 6, Budapest, 1083, Hungary
- HUN-REN-SU Neuroepidemiological Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tibor Glasz
- Department of Pathology, Forensic and Insurance Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tibor Hortobágyi
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- Department of Old Age Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Tibor Kovács
- Department of Neurology, Semmelweis University, Balassa U. 6, Budapest, 1083, Hungary.
- Károly Schaffer Laboratory of Neuropathology, Department of Neurology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
- HUN-REN-SU Neuroepidemiological Research Group, Budapest, Hungary.
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Abstract
The death of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) is a key factor in the pathophysiology of all types of glaucoma, but the mechanism of pathogenesis of glaucoma remains unclear. RGCs are a group of central nervous system (CNS) neurons whose soma are in the inner retina. The axons of RGCs form the optic nerve and converge at the optic chiasma; from there, they project to the visual cortex via the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN). In recent years, there has been increasing interest in the dysfunction and death of CNS and retinal neurons caused by transneuronal degeneration of RGCs, and the view that glaucoma is a widespread neurodegenerative disease involving CNS damage appears more and more frequently in the literature. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of LGN and visual cortex neuron damage in glaucoma and possible mechanisms behind the damage. This review presents an updated and expanded view of neuronal damage in glaucoma, and reveals new and potential targets for neuroprotection and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengling You
- Department of Ophthalmology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Changsha, China
| | - Rong Rong
- Department of Ophthalmology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Changsha, China
| | - Zhou Zeng
- Department of Ophthalmology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Changsha, China
| | - Xiaobo Xia
- Department of Ophthalmology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Changsha, China
| | - Dan Ji
- Department of Ophthalmology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Changsha, China
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Lawlor M, Danesh-Meyer H, Levin LA, Davagnanam I, De Vita E, Plant GT. Glaucoma and the brain: Trans-synaptic degeneration, structural change, and implications for neuroprotection. Surv Ophthalmol 2017; 63:296-306. [PMID: 28986311 DOI: 10.1016/j.survophthal.2017.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2017] [Revised: 09/11/2017] [Accepted: 09/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
A recent hypothesis to enter the literature suggests that glaucoma is a neurodegenerative disease. The basis for this has been the finding of central nervous system changes in glaucoma patients on histology and neuroimaging. It is known that retinal ganglion cell pathology of any cause leads to anterograde and retrograde retinal ganglion cell degeneration, as well as trans-synaptic (transneuronal) anterograde degeneration. Trans-synaptic degeneration has been demonstrated in a range of optic neuropathies including optic nerve transection, optic neuritis, and hereditary optic neuropathies. More recently, similar changes have been confirmed in glaucoma patients using the neuroimaging techniques of voxel-based morphometry and diffusion tensor imaging. Some studies have reported brain changes in glaucoma outside the retino-geniculo-cortical pathway; however, these are preliminary and exploratory in nature. Further research is required to identify whether the degenerative brain changes in glaucoma are entirely secondary to the optic neuropathy or whether there is additional primary central nervous system pathology. This has critical implications for neuroprotective and regenerative treatment strategies and our basic understanding of glaucoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitchell Lawlor
- Save Sight Institute, Discipline of Clinical Ophthalmology and Eye Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Department of Neuro-Ophthalmology, Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Helen Danesh-Meyer
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Leonard A Levin
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Neurology & Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Indran Davagnanam
- Department of Neuro-Ophthalmology, Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, United Kingdom; Academic Neuroradiological Unit, Department of Brain Repair & Rehabilitation, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom; Lysholm Department of Neuroradiology, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, UCL Hospitals Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Enrico De Vita
- Academic Neuroradiological Unit, Department of Brain Repair & Rehabilitation, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom; Lysholm Department of Neuroradiology, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, UCL Hospitals Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom; Department of Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Gordon T Plant
- Department of Neuro-Ophthalmology, Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, United Kingdom; Department of Neuro-Ophthalmology, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, United Kingdom; The Medical Eye Unit, St Thomas' Hospital, London, United Kingdom
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Abstract
BACKGROUND The primary pathophysiological feature of glaucoma is a progressive optic neuropathy with characteristic morphological changes of the optic disc and risk factors of age and intraocular pressure. Recently, involvement of other areas of the central nervous system (CNS) beyond the optic nerve has been demonstrated. This article addresses the proposition that glaucoma shares mechanistic and pathophysiologic features with neurodegenerations in the CNS. METHODS The literature on CNS alterations in patients with glaucoma is reviewed with particular focus on neuroimaging and pathological studies. A theoretical framework for assessing whether glaucoma is truly a neurodegenerative disease is developed based on the comparison with neurodegenerative and nonneurodegenerative diseases. RESULTS Although there is convincing evidence of abnormalities in CNS regions distal to the optic nerve in glaucoma, these are similar to those seen in other disorders of the proximal visual pathways, such as other optic neuropathies or retinal diseases. Similarly, features of glaucoma that are similar to neurodegenerations are also seen in nonneurodegenerative diseases. CONCLUSIONS Glaucoma is less likely a primary neurodegeneration affecting the CNS and more likely a primary optic neuropathy with secondary effects in the CNS.
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