Nucleus-specific alteration of raphe neurons in human neurodegenerative disorders

• Published in: Neuroreport Vol. 14; no. 1; p. 73
• Main Authors: Kovacs, Gabor G, Klöppel, Stefan, Fischer, Ingeborg, Dorner, Suzanne, Lindeck-Pozza, Elisabeth, Birner, Peter, Bötefür, Ingolf C, Pilz, Peter, Volk, Benedikt, Budka, Herbert
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 20.01.2003
• Subjects: Aged; alpha-Synuclein; Alzheimer Disease - metabolism; Alzheimer Disease - pathology; Female; Humans; Male; Medulla Oblongata - metabolism; Medulla Oblongata - pathology; Middle Aged; Multiple System Atrophy - metabolism; Multiple System Atrophy - pathology; Nerve Tissue Proteins - analysis; Neurodegenerative Diseases - metabolism; Neurodegenerative Diseases - pathology; Neurons - metabolism; Neurons - pathology; Parkinson Disease - metabolism; Parkinson Disease - pathology; Phosphorylation; Pons - metabolism; Pons - pathology; Protein Processing, Post-Translational; Raphe Nuclei - metabolism; Raphe Nuclei - pathology; Serotonin - biosynthesis; Supranuclear Palsy, Progressive - metabolism; Supranuclear Palsy, Progressive - pathology; Synucleins; tau Proteins - analysis; Tryptophan Hydroxylase - analysis
• DOI: 10.1097/00001756-200301200-00014
• ISSN: 0959-4965

Neurodegenerative diseases share symptoms suggested to be related to the serotonergic system. To evaluate the involvement of serotonergic raphe nuclei, we compared the percentage of neurons synthesizing serotonin in the nucleus centralis superior (NCS), raphe obscurus and pallidus (NROP) in Alzheimer's disease (AD), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), Parkinson's disease (PD), multiple system atrophy (MSA), and control brains. We used immunohistochemistry for tryptophan hydroxylase (TpOH), phosphorylated tau, and alpha-synuclein. We observed a significant decrease in the NCS in the NROP in AD, but a significant increase in PSP and MSA. Cytoskeletal pathology was present in the NCS and NROP to a variable degree. We conclude that there is disease- and nucleus-specific alteration of serotonin synthesis in the raphe.