Mann D M, Yates P O, Marcyniuk B
Mech Ageing Dev. 1984 Apr-May;25(1-2):189-204. doi: 10.1016/0047-6374(84)90140-4.
The number of nerve cells in the nucleus basalis of Meynert in normally aged persons is reduced by 30% by 90 years of age and cytoplasmic RNA content and nucleolar volume by about 20%. In Alzheimer's disease the changes are greatly exacerbated, with the cell number being depleted by a further 60% and cytoplasmic RNA content and nucleolar volume by an extra 35%. Moreover, younger patients with Alzheimer's disease show a much greater difference from controls of the same age than do older patients; indeed, by 90 years of age the levels of these changes are similar in Alzheimer's disease and in old age alone. Lipofuscin content is increased to a similar extent with age in both Alzheimer's disease and control patients and was associated with loss of cytoplasmic RNA content and nucleolar volume in both groups. It is suggested that mechanisms which result in the accumulation of this pigment during life also lower the capability of cells of the nucleus basalis of Meynert to withstand disease pathogens, leading to a certain degree of change in old age alone and one which in other persons may be compounded by secondary factors giving the extreme degeneration of Alzheimer's disease.
到90岁时，正常老年人迈内特基底核中的神经细胞数量减少30%，细胞质RNA含量和核仁体积减少约20%。在阿尔茨海默病中，这些变化会大大加剧，细胞数量会进一步减少60%，细胞质RNA含量和核仁体积会额外减少35%。此外，与老年患者相比，年轻的阿尔茨海默病患者与同龄对照组之间的差异要大得多；事实上，到90岁时，阿尔茨海默病患者和仅处于老年状态的患者的这些变化程度相似。在阿尔茨海默病患者和对照患者中，脂褐素含量随年龄增长的增加程度相似，并且在两组中都与细胞质RNA含量和核仁体积的减少有关。有人认为，在生命过程中导致这种色素积累的机制也会降低迈内特基底核细胞抵御疾病病原体的能力，仅在老年时就会导致一定程度的变化，而在其他人中，这种变化可能会因次要因素而加剧，从而导致阿尔茨海默病的极端退化。
