Neuronal degeneration in hippocampus and cerebellum of mutant spastic Han-Wistar rats

The neuropathology of the brain of mutant spastic Han-Wistar rats (Han-Wist SPA/SPA) was investigated using histological techniques. A surprising result was the detection of neuronal degeneration in the hippocampus and cerebellum of mutant spastic rat brains, whereas other regions, e.g. neocortex, isocortex, basal ganglia and thalamus, were overall normal. The CA3 sector in the septal third of the hippocampus including the cell band reaching into the hilus ('CA3c') showed a severe neuronal degeneration, whereas the granule cells of the dentate gyrus, several hilar neurons ('CA4') and the pyramidal cells in CA1 were found normal. In the cerebellum, a variable patchy degeneration of Purkinje cells was detected while the general layering was normal and granule cells and Golgi cells appeared preserved.