RETURNYonago Acta medica 1992;35:71–78
Fine Structure of Neurofibrillary Tangles in Nucleus Raphe Dorsalis in
Parkinsonism-Dementia Complex on Guam
Shinsuke Kato*†, Asao Hino*, Josefina F. Llena* and Eisaku Ohama†
*Bluestone Laboratory, Division of Neuropathology, Department of Pathology, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, United States and †Division of Neuropathology, Institute of Neurological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago 683, Japan
This report describes a simple method of processing paraffin-embedded biological specimens for electron microscopic examination. The usefulness of the procedure is demonstrated by the results obtained in studying the fine structure of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) and the immunoelectron microscopic appearance in neurons of nucleus raphe dorsalis in patients with parkinsonism-dementia complex on Guam. These NFTs consist of bundles of straight tubules, intermingled with periodically constricted fibrils. In cross section, they present as circular structures, and some have a central density. Immunoelectron microscopy demonstrates that tau-immunoreactive products in the neurons are mainly located on the margins of the NFT fibrils.
Key words: electron microscopy; immunoelectron microscopy; neurofibrillary tangle; nucleus raphe dorsalis; parkinsonism-dementia complex on Guam