MECHANICAL INSTABILITY OF PICK BODIES AND THEIR ISOLATION IN AN INTACT FORM USING UREA SOLUTION

Isolation of Pick bodies was attempted from an autopsied brain of a pa tient with Pick's disease following a modified method for isolation of senile plaques cores and neurofibrillary tangles in the brains of Alz heimer's disease. Pick bodies were mechanically less stable than senil e plaque cores and neurofibrillary tangles since Pick bodies were dest royed by vigorous homogenization or treatment with 1% sodium dodecyl s ulfate solution. Pick bodies were released out of mother neuronal cell s in an intact form by treatment with 8 M urea solution for several ho urs at room temperature. Finally, fine structure of Pick filaments rel eased from Pick bodies was compared with the filaments of neurofibrill ary tangles.