Leuba G, Garey L J
Brain Res. 1984 Nov;318(2):285-99. doi: 10.1016/0165-3806(84)90033-6.
Quantitative analysis of dendritic branching patterns was performed in rapid Golgi sections of the lateral geniculate nucleus of Old World monkeys at several ages, using a computer-microscope and a tree-analysing program. In parvocellular and magnocellular multipolar neurons the dendrites were analysed in centrifugal order and according to whether they were intermediate or terminal segments. Between late gestation and birth there is an increase in the mean length of dendrites, and in the total length of dendrites per neuron, more pronounced in magnocellular layers; there follows a progressive decrease in their length until adulthood. However, only terminal dendritic segments are involved in these changes in length. Intermediate segments are shorter and show a more or less constant length throughout life. The final length of a segment seems more determined by it being terminal or intermediate than by its order of branching and there is greater plasticity in the terminal part of the dendritic tree. Magnocellular neurons are characterized by a greater number of both intermediate and terminal segments than parvocellular neurons but not by a greater length of individual segments. This accounts for the greater dendritic length in magnocellular neurons and may offer them a larger surface for synaptic connectivity.
利用计算机显微镜和树分析程序，对几个年龄段的旧大陆猴外侧膝状核的快速高尔基染色切片中的树突分支模式进行了定量分析。在小细胞和大细胞多极神经元中，按照离心顺序并根据树突是中间段还是终末段对其进行分析。在妊娠晚期至出生之间，树突的平均长度以及每个神经元的树突总长度均有所增加，在大细胞层中更为明显；随后其长度逐渐减少直至成年。然而，这些长度变化仅涉及树突终末段。中间段较短，并且在整个生命过程中长度或多或少保持恒定。一个树突段的最终长度似乎更多地取决于它是终末段还是中间段，而不是其分支顺序，并且在树突树的终末部分具有更大的可塑性。大细胞神经元的特征在于，其中间段和终末段的数量均比小细胞神经元多，但单个段的长度并不更长。这解释了大细胞神经元中树突长度更长的原因，并且可能为它们提供更大的突触连接表面。
