Origin and growth of chalcedony in the senile human cerebellum: confocal laser scanning microscopy

PRADO FIGUEROA M, J SÁNCHEZ LIHÓN

Córdoba, Argentina

Congreso; XI Congreso Argentino de Ciencias Morfológicas.; 2008

Sociedad Argentina de Ciencias Morfológicas

  The cerebellum is an especially appropriate organ for the analysis of the traumatized and aged neurons. In the cerebellum of the old people, Cajal (1911) observed axonic metamorphoses of Purkinje neurons: a-) axonic hypertrophy; b-) axonal swellings; c-) axon ending in a ball and d-) also disappearance of numerous Purkinje cells. Chalcedony (a microcrystalline silica, SiO2) has been observed to be present in the human cerebellum from aged patients by using a DMLP polarized light microscope (Prado Figueroa et al., 2006; 2008). This paper documents the visualization of chalcedony in the human cerebellum of the old people by using a Leica TSC – TC2 Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope. An argon ion laser operating at 488 and 476 nm wavelength was used as the excitation source and imaged with differential interference contrast (DIC). Autofluorescent chalcedony is in the balls of the axon ending, swellings and also within the nucleus of the Purkinje cells, as very small grains. This observation is in relation with the Purkinje cells loss. Chalcedony plays a direct role in cellular transformation and it is the agent that damage DNA.   Key Words: Neurodegeneration; Purkinje cells; quartz; silica; silicon           Sección: Neurociencias, neurodegeneración Panel.