Lavezzi Anna Maria, Ottaviani Giulia, Mauri Maria, Matturri Luigi
Institute of Pathology, Lino Rossi Research Center, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
Neurol Res. 2007 Sep;29(6):525-32. doi: 10.1179/016164107X166308.
The present study was aimed to evaluate the possible presence of cytohistologic and/or biologic modifications of the human dentate-olivary complex in sudden unexplained perinatal and infant deaths.
We investigated the histologic morphology of the dentate and inferior olivary nuclei, the glial index, the c-fos and apoptotic immunopositivity, as well as the possible effects elicited by maternal cigarette smoking, in 44 cases of perinatal and infant death victims, aged from the 26th gestational week to 10 months of life.
We observed subtle alterations of both the medullary inferior olivary nucleus and of the cerebellar dentate nucleus, represented by a significant increase in the reactive astrocyte density and in the neuronal c-fos and apoptotic expression in unexplained death victims, compared with age-matched controls. These alterations were closely related to a maternal cigarette smoking habit.
We postulate that maternal smoking, besides inducing the previously demonstrated morpho-functional alterations of the autonomic central nervous system, could also exert an adverse influence on the dentate-olivary complex, leading to sudden death in vulnerable periods of perinatal development or early infancy.
本研究旨在评估在不明原因的围产期和婴儿死亡中，人类齿状橄榄复合体是否存在细胞组织学和/或生物学改变。
我们调查了44例围产期和婴儿死亡受害者（孕周26周龄至出生后10个月龄）齿状核和下橄榄核的组织形态学、胶质细胞指数、c-fos和凋亡免疫阳性情况，以及母亲吸烟可能产生的影响。
我们观察到，与年龄匹配的对照组相比，不明原因死亡受害者的延髓下橄榄核和小脑齿状核均有细微改变，表现为反应性星形胶质细胞密度、神经元c-fos和凋亡表达显著增加。这些改变与母亲的吸烟习惯密切相关。
我们推测，母亲吸烟除了会导致先前已证实的自主中枢神经系统形态功能改变外，还可能对齿状橄榄复合体产生不利影响，导致在围产期发育或婴儿早期的脆弱阶段突然死亡。
