NO VASOPRESSIN CELL LOSS IN THE HUMAN HYPOTHALAMUS IN AGING AND ALZHEIMERS-DISEASE

The total number of immunocytochemically identified vasopressin (AVP) cells was determined morphometrically in the paraventricular (PVN) and dorsolateral part of the supraoptic nucleus (dl-SON) of the human hyp othalamus in 30 subjects ranging in age from 15 to 97 years, including 10 Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. The aim of the present study wa s to test the hypothesis that the increased activity of AVP neurons re ported earlier is accompanied by an absence of cell loss in these nucl ei in senescence and AD. The results show that numbers of immunoreacti ve AVP cells in the PVN and dl-SON do not decline during aging or in A D. During aging, the number of neurons expressing AVP even increased i n the PVN of control subjects. The nuclear diameter of the AVP cells i n the PVN and dl-SON showed an increase in old AD patients. It is conc luded that no cell loss occurs in the AVP cell population in the PVN a nd dl-SON during aging and in AD, and that AVP expression increases in the PVN during normal aging, but not in AD.