Brun A, Liu X, Erikson C
Department of Neuropathology, University Hospital, Lund University, Sweden.
Neurodegeneration. 1995 Jun;4(2):171-7. doi: 10.1006/neur.1995.0021.
Changes in density of synapses and astrocytes in the molecular layer of the frontal and parietal cortex were compared in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and frontal lobe degeneration of non-Alzheimer type (FLD). The investigation was limited to the molecular layer because it is possible in this part of the cortex to measure changes in synapses and astrocytes without contamination by nerve cell body changes. In the frontal pole synapse density declined by 40% in both FLD and AD whereas in the parietal area there was a 50% decrease in synapse density in AD but no significant change in FLD. Number of astrocytes showed an inverse relationship to synapse density. There was a significant increase in astrocytes in the frontal cortex in both FLD and AD but in the parietal cortex such an increase was seen only in AD. These results confirm previous reports of synapse loss in AD and demonstrate a similar loss in FLD in the frontal, but not parietal cortex. The findings underscore the regional pattern changes of FLD, previously shown for other parameters, and its difference from that of AD. We propose that these changes in molecular layer may be representative of the pathology (and the functional deficit) within the underlying cortical layers.
在阿尔茨海默病（AD）和非阿尔茨海默型额叶变性（FLD）中，比较了额叶和顶叶皮质分子层中突触和星形胶质细胞密度的变化。研究仅限于分子层，因为在皮质的这一部分可以测量突触和星形胶质细胞的变化，而不受神经细胞体变化的影响。在额极，FLD和AD中的突触密度均下降了40%，而在顶叶区域，AD中的突触密度下降了50%，而FLD中无显著变化。星形胶质细胞数量与突触密度呈负相关。FLD和AD的额叶皮质中星形胶质细胞均显著增加，但仅在AD的顶叶皮质中出现这种增加。这些结果证实了先前关于AD中突触丧失的报道，并表明FLD在额叶皮质而非顶叶皮质中也有类似的丧失。这些发现强调了FLD先前在其他参数中显示的区域模式变化及其与AD的差异。我们认为分子层的这些变化可能代表了潜在皮质层内的病理（和功能缺陷）。
