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Early forms of terminal degeneration in the spinal trigeminal nucleus following rhizotomy

  • Published:
Journal of Neurocytology

Summary

Pars interpolaris of the spinal trigeminal nucleus in adult cats has been studied with the electron microscope at several early and consecutive postoperative survival times following retrogasserian rhizotomy. The results show that several different forms of degenerative changes occur in the axon terminals and some of these forms may be interpreted as stages in certain sequences of terminal degeneration.

Synaptic vesicle depletion and mitochondrial alterations are probably the earliest changes in some terminals, but the occurrence of completely different forms also at very early survival times suggest that other processes may be involved. Electron-dense forms of terminal degeneration of later survivals are suggested as arising from any of at least four possible types or classes of earlier alterations based upon presence or absence of vesicles and neurofilaments and on the mitochondrial changes. Electron-lucent forms probably progress to dense types with time but may account for only a proportion of the later dense forms.

All types of neuroglia, or reactive glia, and a possible ‘third glia’ are involved in early and rapid phagocytosis and denudation of post-synaptic sites at times earlier than previously reported.

The study also confirms a previous study of a time-related degeneration pattern in the same area and offers an explanation for this pattern.

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  1. Departments of Neurological Surgery and Biological Structure, University of Washington, 98195, Seattle, Washington, USA

    Lesnick E. Westrum

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Westrum, L.E. Early forms of terminal degeneration in the spinal trigeminal nucleus following rhizotomy. J Neurocytol 2, 189–215 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01474720

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01474720

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