Summary
Fine structural alterations of Schmidt-Lanterman incisures (SLI) were investigated in a series of 242 unselected sural nerve biopsies that had been examined for diagnostic purposes. The series included cases with Friedreich's ataxia, HSAN I, HMSN I-III, HMSN VI, tomaculous neuropathy, metachromatic leukodystrophy, ceroidlipofuscinosis, dysproteinemic neuropathies, and myotonic dystrophy, in addition to several neuropathies less-specifically classified as either of a predominantly demyelinating, axonal, or neuronal type. The following classification of SLI alterations is proposed: (A) abnormal inclusions: (B) changes in shape and dimension; and (C) modes of disintegration. Abnormal inclusions comprised membranous whorls, uniform and pleomorphous lysosome-like bodies, and accumulation of granular substances at the site of the major dense line, or granular deposits at the site of the intraperiod line of the myelin sheath. Variations of incisural shape and dimension included folding, dilatation, and pocket formation (compartmentalization). Disintegration at incisures comprised a fine, vesicular and a gross, vacuolar type. Various combinations of these changes were observed. The most frequent change consisted of membranous whorls, detected in SLI of 89 biopsies. They were most prominent in chloroquine neuropathy where they occurred in SLI as well as in the adaxonal and abaxonal cytoplasm of Schwann cells. Compartmentalization of the myelin sheath at incisures associated with formation of myelin loops was a frequent feature in myotonic dystrophy. It is concluded, that changes of incisural ultrastructure are sensitive indicators of human neuropathies offering clues to the type of the underlying pathomechanism.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Allt G, Ghabriel MN, Sikri K (1988) Lysophosphatidyl choline-induced demyelination. A freeze fracture study. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 75:456–464
Bischoff AJ (1979) The peripheral nerves. In: Johannessen JV (ed) Electron microscopy in human medicine. McGraw-Hill, New York, pp 136–236
Cajal SR (1928) Degeneration and Regeneration of the nervous system. Vol 1. Oxford University Press, London, pp 67–74
Celio MR (1976) The Schmidt-Lanterman incisures of the myelin sheath of Mauthner axons: places of longitudinal growth of myelin. Brain Res 108:221–235
Cros D, Harnden P, Pouget J, Pellissier JF, Gestaut JL, Serratrice G (1988) Peripheral neuropathy in myotonic dystrophy: a nerve biopsy study. Ann Neurol 23:470–476
Dayan AD, Graveson GS, Robinson PK, Woodhouse MA (1968) Globular neuropathy: a disorder of axons and Schwann cells. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 31:552–560
Dyck PJ, Karnes J, Lais A, Lofgren EP, Stevens JC (1984) Pathologic alterations of the peripheral nervous system in humans. In: Dyck PJ, Thomas PK, Lambert EH, Bunge R (eds) Peripheral neuropathy, 2nd edn. WB Saunders, Philadelphia, pp 760–780
Ericsson JE, Biberfeld P (1967) Studies on aldehyde fixation. Fixation rates and their relation to fine structure and some histochemical reactions in liver. Lab Invest 17:281–298
Ghabriel MN, Allt G (1979) The role of Schmidt-Lanterman incisures in Wallerian degeneration. I. A quantitative teased fiber study. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 48:83–93
Ghabriel MN, Allt G (1979) The role of Schmidt-Lanterman incisures in Wallerian degeneration. II. An electron microscopic study. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 48:95–103
Ghabriel MN, Allt G (1981) Incisures of Schmidt-Lanterman. Prog Neurobiol 17:25–58
Hall SM, Williams PL (1970) Studies on the “incisures” of Schmidt and Lanterman. J Cell Sci 6:767–791
Hiscoe HB (1947) Distribution of nodes and incisures in normal and regenerated nerve fibres. Anat Rec 99:447
Ho ST, Yu HS (1989) Ultrastructural changes of the peripheral nerve induced by vibration: an experimental study. Br J Ind Med 46:157–164
Hruban Z (1984) Pulmonary and generalized lysosomal storage induced by amphiphilic drugs. Environ Health Perspect 55:53–76
Jacobs JM, Scadding JW (1990) Morphological changes in IGM paraproteinaemic neuropathy. Acta Neuropathol 80:77–84
Lanterman AJ (1877) deÜber den feineren Bau der markhaltigen Nervenfasern. Arch Mikrosk Anat Entwicklungsmech 13:1–8
Lazar L, Maros T (1962) Beitrag zur funktionellen Bedeutung der Schmidt-Lantermanschen Einkerbungen. Rev Sci Med 7:51–54
Lüllmann H, Lüllmann-Rauch R, Wassermann O (1978) Lipidosis induced by amphiphilic cationic drugs. Biochem Pharmacol 27:1103–1108
Meier C, Moll C (1982) Hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies. Report of two families and review of the literature. J Neurol 228:73–95
Mugnaini E, Osen KK, Schnapp B, Friedrich VL (1977) Distribution of Schwann cell cytoplasm and plasmalemmal vesicles (caveolae) in peripheral myelin sheaths. An electron microscopic study with thin sections and freeze fracturing. J Neurocytol 6:647–668
Nardelli E, Steck AJ, Barkas T, Schluep M, Jerusalem F (1988) Motor neuron syndrome and monoclonal IgM with antibody activity against gangliosides GM1 and GD1b. Ann Neurol 23:524–528
Onishi A, Yoshiyuki M, Masato I, Tsutomu F, Hirokazu F, Yoshigoro K (1989) Autosomal recessive motor and sensory neuropathy with excessive myelin outfolding. Muscle Nerve 12:568–575
Pages M, Pages AM (1984) Lésios du nerf périphérigue dans le neuromyopathie à la chloroquine. Ann Pathol 4:289–295
Ranvier ML (1878) Leçons sur l'Histologie du Système Nerveux. Savy, Paris
Rebai T, Mhiri C, Heine P, Charfi H, Meyrignac C, Gherardi R (1989) Focal myelin thickenings in a peripheral neuropathy associated with IgM monoclonal gammopathy. Acta Neuropathol 79:226–232
Robertson JD (1958) The ultrastructure of Schmidt-Lanterman clefts and related shearing defects of the myelin sheath. J Biophys Biochem Cytol 4:39–46
Robertson JD (1962) The unit membrane of cells and mechanism of myelin formation. In: Korey SR, Pope A, Robins E (eds) Ultrustructure and metabolism of the nervous system, Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, pp 94–158
Saida K, Saida T, Brown M, Silberberg DH, Asbury AK (1978) Antiserum-mediated demyelination in vivo. A sequential study using intraneural injection of experimental allergic neuritis serum. Lab Invest 39:449–462
Saida T, Saida K, Brown MJ, Silberberg DH (1979) Peripheral nerve demyelination induced by intraneural injection of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis serum. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 38:498–518
Santoro M, Thomas FP, Fink ME, Lange DJ, Uncini A, Wadia NH, Latov N, Hays AP (1990) IgM deposits at nodes of Ranvier in a patient with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, anti-GM1 antibodies, and multifocal conduction block. Ann Neurol 28:373–377
Schmidt HD (1874) On the construction of the dark or double bordered nerve fibre. Non Microsc J (Lond) 11:200–222
Schröder JM (1974) Two-dimensional reconstruction of Schwann cell changes following remyelination of regenerated nerve fibres. In: Hausmanova-Petrusewicz I, Jedrzejowska H (eds) Proceedings of the symposium on structure and function of normal and diseased muscle and peripheral nerve. Polish Medical Editors, Warsaw, pp 299–304
Schröder JM (1981) Pathomorphologie des peripheren Nerven. In: Neundörfer B (ed) Polyneuritiden und Polyneuropathien, Edition Medizin. VCH, Weinheim, pp 11–104
Schröder JM (1988) Muskel- und Nervenbiopsien. In: Schliack H, Hopf HC (eds) Diagnostik in der Neurologie. Georg Thieme Verlag, Stuttgart New York, pp 147–188
Thomas PK (1974) Nerve injury. In: Bellairs R, Gray EF (eds) Essays on the nervous system. Clarendon Press, Oxford, pp 44–70
Thomas PK, Ochoa J (1984) Microscopic anatomy of peripheral nerve fibers. In: Dyck PJ, Thomas PK, Lambert EH, Bunge R (eds) Peripheral neuropathy, vol 1. WB Saunders, Philadelphia London Toronto, pp 39–96
Trapp BD, Andrews B, Wong A, O'Connell M, Griffin JW (1989) Co-localization of the myelin-associated glycoprotein and the microfilament components F-actin and spectrin in Schwann cells of myelinated nerve fibers. J Neurocytol 18:47–60
Vital C, Vallat JM (1987) Ultrustructural study of the human diseased peripheral nerve. Elsevier, New York Amsterdam London, pp 27–85
Vital A, Vital C, Riviere JP, Brechenmacher C, Marot J (1987) Variability of morphological features in early infantile polyneuropathy with defective myelination. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 73:295–300
Vuorinen VS, Röyttä M (1990) Taxol-induced neuropathy after nerve crush: long-term effects on Schwann and endoneurial cells. Acta Neuropathol 79:653–662
Vuorinen VS, Röyttä M (1990) Taxol-induced neuropathy after nerve crush: long-term effects on regenerating axons. Acta Neuropathol 79:663–671
Vuorinen VS, Röyttä M, Raine CS (1988) The acute effects of taxol upon regenerating axons after nerve crush. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 76:26–34
Vuorinen VS, Röyttä M, Raine CS (1988) The acute response of Schwann cells to taxol after nerve crush. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 76:17–25
Webster H deF (1964) The relationship between Schmidt-Lanterman incisures and myelin segmentation during Wallerian degeneration. Ann NY Acad Sci 122:29–38
Westland K, Pollard JD (1987) Proteinase-induced demyelination. An electrophysiological and histological study. J Neurol Sci 82:41–53
Young JZ (1944) Surface tension and the degeneration of nerve fibers. Nature 154:521–522
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Schröder, J.M., Himmelmann, F. Fine structural evaluation of altered Schmidt-Lanterman incisures in human sural nerve biopsies. Acta Neuropathol 83, 120–133 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00308471
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00308471