Oxidative injury is present in Purkinje cells in patients with olivopontocerebellar atrophy

To verify the presence of lipid peroxidation products in spinocerebellar de generation (SCD), the cerebella from eight patients with olivopontocerebell ar atrophy (OPCA) and six non-OPCA patients were immunohistochemically inve stigated with 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE) antibody. On average, 84.6% of Purk inje cells were positively or strongly positively immunostained in OPCA pat ients while only 15.5% were positive in non-OPCA patients. Other cells in t he molecular and granular layers showed no obvious immunoreactivity. These data suggest that a lipid peroxidation product is present in Purkinje cells of OPCA patients and that oxidative stress may play an important role in t he degeneration process of SCD. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights r eserved.