Elsevier

Brain Research

Volume 649, Issues 1–2, 27 June 1994, Pages 329-333
Brain Research

Stable vasopressin innervation in the degenerating human locus coeruleus in Alzheimer's disease

https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-8993(94)91082-0Get rights and content

Abstract

The vasopressin (VP) innervation of the human locus coeruleus (LC) was immunocytochemically investigated in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients and non-demented controls. A dense innervation of VP fibers was present throughout the entire rostro-caudal length of the LC in both, controls and AD-patients. The VP immunoreactivity was confined to fibers; no signs of cell body staining could be found. Comparison of five non-demented control subjects anf five AD patients on fifteen different levels throughout the LC revealed that the VP innervation of this nucleus remained intact in AD, even in the rostral part of the LC, which is the most affected region with respect to neuronal loss.

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    The study was supported by the Foundation for Medical and Health Research (MEDIGON; Grant 900-552074), The Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO).

    *

    Brain material was obtained from the Netherlands Brain Bank, Amsterdam (coordinator Dr. R. David). Neuropathology was performed by Prof. F.C. Stam (Netherlands Brain Bank) or Dr. W. Kamphorst (Free University, Amsterdam). The authors wish to thank Mr. G. Van der Meulen for his photographical work.

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