D. Cevolani et al., SUICIDE RETROGRADE TRANSPORT OF VOLKENSIN IN CEREBELLAR AFFERENTS - DIRECT EVIDENCE, NEURONAL LESIONS AND COMPARISON WITH RICIN, Brain research, 689(2), 1995, pp. 163-171
Volkensin and ricin, either free or conjugated with colloidal gold, we
re injected into the cerebellar cortex of rats. The inferior olive and
pontine nuclei were examined to verify the retrograde axonal transpor
t of these two toxins, and the consequent neuronal damage. No evidence
was obtained of a retrograde axonal transport of ricin in these pathw
ays. Injection of gold-conjugated volkensin in the cerebellar cortex r
esulted in retrogradely labelled neurones in the inferior olive after
3 h, and in the pontine nuclei after 6 h. Degenerative changes. were v
ery severe in the retrogradely labelled neurones 48 h after the gold-c
onjugated volkensin injection. In the Nissl-stained material, neuronal
degeneration started to be evident in the inferior olive 12 h, and in
pontine nuclei 6 h, after volkensin injection. The neuronal degenerat
ion in both the inferior olive and pens increased up to 4 days after t
he injection. These findings provide direct evidence of the retrograde
axonal transport of volkensin in the central nervous system, and of t
he time course of the consequent degenerative changes in the afferents
to the cerebellar cortex.