Suprachiasmatic nucleus in a patient with multiple system atrophy with abnormal circadian rhythm of arginine-vasopressin secretion into plasma

• Published in: Journal of the neurological sciences Vol. 154; no. 1; pp. 116 - 121
• Main Authors: Ozawa, Tetsutaro, Oyanagi, Kiyomitsu, Tanaka, Hajime, Horikawa, Yoh, Takahashi, Hitoshi, Morita, Takashi, Tsuji, Shoji
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier B.V 21.01.1998; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Arginine Vasopressin - blood; Arginine-vasopressin; Biological and medical sciences; Circadian Rhythm; Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Morphometry; Multiple system atrophy; Multiple System Atrophy - blood; Multiple System Atrophy - complications; Multiple System Atrophy - physiopathology; Multiple System Atrophy - urine; Neurology; Neurons - metabolism; Nocturnal polyuria; Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus - metabolism; Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus - pathology; Polyuria - etiology; Polyuria - urine; Suprachiasmatic nucleus; Suprachiasmatic Nucleus - metabolism; Suprachiasmatic Nucleus - pathology; Supraoptic Nucleus - metabolism; Supraoptic Nucleus - pathology; Suprachiasmatic nucleus; Multiple system atrophy; Nocturnal polyuria; Morphometry; Arginine-vasopressin; circadian rhythm; Human; Inappropriate secretion; Nervous system diseases; Night; Exploration; Male; Circadian rhythm; Vasopressin; Cerebral disorder; Case study; Pathology; Arginine; Central nervous system disease; Degenerative disease; Polyuria
• ISSN: 0022-510X; 1878-5883
• DOI: 10.1016/S0022-510X(97)00210-4

We performed a quantitative investigation of arginine-vasopressin (AVP) immunopositive neurons in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), which is the endogenous clock of the brain of a patient with multiple system atrophy (MSA) who exhibited nocturnal polyuria associated with decreased urinary specific gravity and depression of nocturnal AVP secretion. Eleven age- and sex-matched subjects were used as controls. Although, the number of AVP-positive neurons was decreased in neither the supraoptic nucleus nor the paraventricular nucleus, the number of AVP-positive neurons in the SCN was decreased and gliosis was present in the SCN. The cytoplasmic area of AVP-immunopositive neurons in the SCN was smaller in the patient than in the control subjects. These findings raise the possibility that SCN is involved in MSA and the neurodegeneration in the SCN results in altered circadian rhythm of AVP secretion and nocturnal polyuria.