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The dentate gyrus in hypoglycemia: Pathology implicating excititoxin-mediated neuronal necrosis

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Summary

A detailed light- and electron-microscopic study of the damage to the rat dentate gyrus in hypoglycemia was undertaken, in view of the previously advanced hypothesis that hypoglycemic nerve cell injury is mediated by a released neurotoxin. The distribution of neuronal necrosis showed a relationship to the subarachnoid cisterns.

Electron microscopy of the dentate granule cells and their apical dendrites revealed dendrosomal, axon-sparing neuronal pathology. Dentate granule cells were affected first in the dendrites in the outer layer of the stratum moleculare, sparing axons of passage and terminal boutons. Subsequently, the neuronal perikarya were affected, and Wallerian degeneration of axons followed. Cell membrane abnormalities preceded the appearance of mitochondrial flocculent densities and degradation of the cytoskeleton, and are suggested to be early lethal changes.

The observed early dendrotoxic changes, and the dendrosomal, axon-sparing nature of the lesion implicate an excitotoxin-mediated neuronal necrosis in hypoglycemia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Experimental Brain Research, University of Lund, S-221 85, Lund, Sweden

    R. Auer (Recipient of a Medical Research Council of Canada Fellowship) & T. Wieloch

  2. Division of Neuropathology, Dept. of Pathology, University of Gothenburg, S-41345, Gothenburg, Sweden

    H. Kalimo

  3. Dept. of Pathology, University of Turku, SF-20520, Turku, Finland

    R. Auer (Recipient of a Medical Research Council of Canada Fellowship)

  4. Laboratory of Neuropathology, Institute of Pathology, University of Uppsala, S-75185, Uppsala, Sweden

    Y. Olsson

Authors
  1. R. Auer
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  2. H. Kalimo
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  3. Y. Olsson
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  4. T. Wieloch
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Additional information

Supported by the Swedish Medical Research Council (projects 12X-03020, 12X-07123, 14X-263), the Finnish Medical Research Council, and the National Institutes of Health of the United State Public Health Service (grant no. 5 RO1 NS07838)

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Auer, R., Kalimo, H., Olsson, Y. et al. The dentate gyrus in hypoglycemia: Pathology implicating excititoxin-mediated neuronal necrosis. Acta Neuropathol 67, 279–288 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00687813

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