Corticotropin-releasing factor immunoreactive neurons persist throughout the brain in Alzheimer's disease

Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) immunoreactivity was examined in the hippocampal formation, cerebellum and hypothalamus of normal aged and Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains. Immunoreactive non-pyramidal neurons were located in the polymorphic layer of the dentate gyrus and CA fields. A plexus of CRF terminals was seen in the supragranular layer of the dentate gyrus. In AD, occasional senile plaques contained CRF-immunoreactive fiber terminals but the pattern of staining was otherwise unchanged aside from a suggestion of increased staining intensity. Similarly, the pattern of immunoreactive cerebellar climbing fibers and paraventricular hypothalamic neurons was preserved in AD brains aside from increased perikaryal staining intensity in the hypothalamus.