Andersen Birgitte Bo
Research Laboratory for Stereology and Neuroscience, Bispebjerg University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Brain Res. 2004 May 8;1007(1-2):10-8. doi: 10.1016/j.brainres.2004.01.058.
It is generally believed that chronic alcohol consumption results in cerebellar atrophy and Purkinje cell loss, especially in the anterior vermal region. A post-mortem stereological design was applied to cerebella from 10 chronic male alcoholics (mean age 45.5 years) with a minimum of 10 years of severe addiction and 10 male controls (mean age 42.5 years). All alcoholics had pathoanatomical evidence of alcohol abuse but no clinical signs of Wernicke's encephalopathy. Cerebellum was divided into five different areas: the anterior and posterior lobe, the anterior and posterior vermis, and the flocculonodular lobe. The total cortex and white matter volume, the cerebellar surface area, the total Purkinje and granule cell number and density, and the mean volume of Purkinje cells and their cell nuclei were measured in all five regions using stereological methods. The volume of the granular layer was increased by 13% with an increase in layer thickness by 17% possibly due to oedema. Globally, the mean volume of the Purkinje cell perikaryon was decreased by 24% with a decrease in the volume of Purkinje cell nuclei by 16%. The increase of the granular layer and the decrease of Purkinje cell size resulted in a 21% global reduction of Purkinje cell density without a concomitant loss of neurons. No significant regional or global cortical and white matter atrophy was found in cerebella from alcoholics compared to controls.
一般认为，长期饮酒会导致小脑萎缩和浦肯野细胞丢失，尤其是在小脑蚓部前区。对10名慢性男性酗酒者（平均年龄45.5岁，至少有10年严重酒瘾）和10名男性对照者（平均年龄42.5岁）的小脑进行了尸检立体学设计研究。所有酗酒者均有酒精滥用的病理解剖学证据，但无韦尼克脑病的临床症状。小脑分为五个不同区域：前叶和后叶、小脑蚓部前区和后区以及绒球小结叶。使用立体学方法测量了所有五个区域的皮质和白质总体积、小脑表面积、浦肯野细胞和颗粒细胞总数及密度，以及浦肯野细胞及其细胞核的平均体积。颗粒层体积增加了13%，层厚度增加了17%，可能是由于水肿所致。总体而言，浦肯野细胞胞体的平均体积减少了24%，浦肯野细胞核的体积减少了16%。颗粒层的增加和浦肯野细胞大小的减小导致浦肯野细胞密度总体降低了21%，但神经元并未随之丢失。与对照组相比，酗酒者小脑未发现明显的区域或整体皮质及白质萎缩。
