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Free keywords:
Iron; Neuron; Perineuronal net; PIXE
Abstract:
Neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and Huntington's disease are characterized by abnormally high concentrations of iron in the affected brain areas. Iron is believed to contribute to oxidative stress by catalysing radical generation and subsequently causing neuronal death. Interestingly, subpopulations of neurons are less vulnerable against degeneration. One of these subpopulations possesses a specialized extracellular matrix arranged as a perineuronal net (PN), a structure with poorly understood functions. In order to differentiate between neurons with and without \PN\} according to their iron concentrations we have performed a μPIXE study at the Leipzig \{LIPSION\} laboratory. PN-ensheathed neurons in selected brain areas were detected by lectin-histochemical staining with Wisteria floribunda agglutinin (WFA). The staining was intensified by DAB-nickel by an established method enabling the visualisation of the \{PNs\ by nuclear microscopy. The cellular concentration of iron in the rat brain was about 1xa0;mmol/l (ca. 30xa0;μg/gxa0;dw). First results of subcellular analysis showed that the intracellular iron concentration of PN-ensheathed neurons tends to be slightly increased in comparison to neurons without PNs. The difference in intracellular iron concentrations could be an effect of the PNs.
