Age-related changes in the Purkinje's cells in the rat cerebellar cortex: a quantitative electron microscopic study

The present study was undertaken to assess age-related changes in the Purkinje's cells in the rat cerebellar cortex. The cellular and nucleolar volumes and the volume percentage of lipofuscin per cytoplasma were measured in six age groups. The number of Purkinje's cells was also counted. The cellular volume of rats aged 18, 24 and 30 months decreased significantly as compared with that of 3-month-old rats. The nucleolar volume of rats aged 12, 18, 24 and 30 months decreased significantly as compared with that of 3-month-old rats. The accumulation of lipofuscin in the cytoplasma of the Purkinje's cells was observed more or less in all ages. The degree of accumulation of lipofuscin in the Purkinje's cells increased with aging. The number of Purkinje's cells at the ages of 24 and 30 months decreased significantly as compared with that of 3-month-old rats.