Vostrikov Victor, Orlovskaya Diana, Uranova Natalya
Laboratory of Clinical Neuropathology, Mental Health Research Center, Moscow, Russia.
World J Biol Psychiatry. 2008;9(1):34-42. doi: 10.1080/15622970701210247.
Our previous studies have shown a significant decrease of numerical density of oligodendrocytes in the prefrontal cortex in postmortem schizophrenic brains. Deficit of oligodendrocytes was associated with loss of oligodendroglial satellites of pyramidal neurons. In this study we tested the hypothesis that there might be a deficit and loss of pericapillary oligodendrocytes in the prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia.
Autopsy samples from the prefrontal cortex (BA 10) were obtained from 12 normal controls and 12 chronic schizophrenic cases. Capillaries and oligodendrocytes were viewed in paraffin sections stained with a Luxol-fast blue and cresyl violet. Electron microscopy was applied to study the ultrastructure of oligodendrocytes. For morphometric analysis, an average of 100 rectilinear capillary segments from layer V was sampled for each individual. The number of oligodendrocytes visible along rectilinear segments was expressed as the number of oligodendrocytes per 0.01 mm of capillary length.
Subjects with schizophrenia had a significantly lower (-23%; P < 0.005) number of pericapillary oligodendrocytes compared to controls. Prominent ultrastructural dystrophic and degenerative alterations of pericapillary oligodendrocytes have been revealed in schizophrenic brains.
The present study provides evidence that there is a prominent reduction, damage and loss of pericapillary oligodendrocytes in the prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia. These changes may contribute to the pathophysiological basis for altered blood-brain barrier and lowered metabolic rates in subjects with schizophrenia.
我们之前的研究表明，在精神分裂症患者死后的大脑中，前额叶皮质少突胶质细胞的数量密度显著降低。少突胶质细胞的缺乏与锥体神经元少突胶质卫星的丧失有关。在本研究中，我们检验了这样一个假设，即精神分裂症患者前额叶皮质可能存在毛细血管周围少突胶质细胞的缺乏和丧失。
从12名正常对照者和12例慢性精神分裂症患者中获取前额叶皮质（BA 10）的尸检样本。在经卢氏固蓝和甲酚紫染色的石蜡切片中观察毛细血管和少突胶质细胞。应用电子显微镜研究少突胶质细胞的超微结构。为进行形态计量分析，每个个体平均从V层抽取100个直线形毛细血管段。沿直线段可见的少突胶质细胞数量表示为每0.01毫米毛细血管长度的少突胶质细胞数量。
与对照组相比，精神分裂症患者的毛细血管周围少突胶质细胞数量显著减少（-23%；P < 0.005）。在精神分裂症患者的大脑中，已发现毛细血管周围少突胶质细胞有明显的超微结构营养不良和退行性改变。
本研究提供了证据，表明精神分裂症患者前额叶皮质中毛细血管周围少突胶质细胞明显减少、受损和丧失。这些变化可能有助于为精神分裂症患者血脑屏障改变和代谢率降低提供病理生理基础。
