Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of Anatomy logoLink to Journal of Anatomy
. 1994 Jun;184(Pt 3):615–623.

Ultrastructural changes in the hypothalamic supraoptic nucleus of the streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat.

S T Dheen 1, S S Tay 1, W C Wong 1
PMCID: PMC1259970  PMID: 7928649

Abstract

Ultrastructural and morphometric studies were undertaken on the hypothalamic supraoptic nucleus of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats over a period of 1 y. At 3 d, a few dendrites showing electron-dense cytoplasm and dilated rER were dispersed in the neuropil among seemingly normal neuronal somata. At 1-6 months, the somata contained numerous vacuoles of various sizes which probably originated from fragmented and dilated rER. Numerous unidentifiable vacuolated and electron-dense neuronal profiles were also seen in the neuropil. At 9-12 months, the number of degenerating electron-dense axon terminals and dendrites was markedly increased in diabetic rats. Glial cells containing electron-dense debris in their cytoplasm were involved in phagocytosis. At all time intervals studied, the mean cross-sectional cell area and mean cross-sectional nuclear area of supraoptic nuclei neurons of diabetic rats were significantly increased in comparison with age-matched controls injected with normal saline. The causative factors for these changes are not clear. However, it is suggested that the osmotic stress caused by chronic dehydration in the diabetic animals may be partly or wholly responsible for these ultrastructural changes.

Full text

PDF
615

Images in this article

616Fig. 1
on p.616
616Fig. 2
on p.616
616Fig. 3
on p.616
618Fig. 4
on p.618
618Fig. 5
on p.618
618Fig. 6
on p.618
618Fig. 7
on p.618
620Fig. 8
on p.620
620Fig. 9
on p.620

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bestetti G., Hofer R., Rossi G. L. The preoptic-suprachiasmatic nuclei though morphologically heterogeneous are equally affected by streptozotocin diabetes. Exp Brain Res. 1987;66(1):74–82. doi: 10.1007/BF00236203. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bestetti G., Rossi G. L. Hypothalamic lesions in rats with long-term streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus. A semiquantitative light- and electron-microscopic study. Acta Neuropathol. 1980;52(2):119–127. doi: 10.1007/BF00688009. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Corp E. S., Woods S. C., Porte D., Jr, Dorsa D. M., Figlewicz D. P., Baskin D. G. Localization of 125I-insulin binding sites in the rat hypothalamus by quantitative autoradiography. Neurosci Lett. 1986 Sep 25;70(1):17–22. doi: 10.1016/0304-3940(86)90430-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Crespo D., Ramos J., Gonzalez C., Fernandez-Viadero C. The supraoptic nucleus: a morphological and quantitative study in control and hypophysectomised rats. J Anat. 1990 Apr;169:115–123. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Dellmann H. D. Degeneration and regeneration of neurosecretory systems. Int Rev Cytol. 1973;36:215–315. doi: 10.1016/s0074-7696(08)60219-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Fernstrom J. D., Fernstrom M. H., Kwok R. P. In vivo somatostatin, vasopressin, and oxytocin synthesis in diabetic rat hypothalamus. Am J Physiol. 1990 Apr;258(4 Pt 1):E661–E666. doi: 10.1152/ajpendo.1990.258.4.E661. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Hendricks S. A., Agardh C. D., Taylor S. I., Roth J. Unique features of the insulin receptor in rat brain. J Neurochem. 1984 Nov;43(5):1302–1309. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.1984.tb05387.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Jakobsen J. Early and preventable changes of peripheral nerve structure and function in insulin-deficient diabetic rats. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1979 Jun;42(6):509–518. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.42.6.509. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Junod A., Lambert A. E., Orci L., Pictet R., Gonet A. E., Renold A. E. Studies of the diabetogenic action of streptozotocin. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1967 Oct;126(1):201–205. doi: 10.3181/00379727-126-32401. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Kalimo H. Ultrastructural studies on the hypothalamic neurosecretory neurons of the rat. III. Paraventricular and supraoptic neurons during lactation and dehydration. Cell Tissue Res. 1975 Nov 7;163(2):151–168. doi: 10.1007/BF00221723. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Kott I., Urca I., Sandbank U. Lumbar sympathetic ganglia in atherosclerotic patients, diabetic and nondiabetic. A comparative morphological and ultrastructural study. Arch Surg. 1974 Dec;109(6):787–792. doi: 10.1001/archsurg.1974.01360060057015. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Lincoln J., Loesch A., Burnstock G. The hypothalamo-neurohypophysial system in streptozotocin-diabetic rats. Ultrastructural evidence for neuronal alterations in the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei and in the neurohypophysis. J Hirnforsch. 1989;30(4):425–435. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Monckton G., Pehowich E. The effects of intermittent insulin therapy on the autonomic neuropathy in the streptozotocin diabetic rat. Can J Neurol Sci. 1982 May;9(2):79–84. doi: 10.1017/s0317167100043729. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Olsson Y., Säve-Söderbergh J., Sourander P., Angervall L. A patho-anatomical study of the central and peripheral nervous system in diabetes of early onset and long duration. Pathol Eur. 1968;3(1):62–79. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Paterson J. A., Leblond C. P. Increased proliferation of neuroglia and endothelial cells in the supraoptic nucleus and hypophysial neural lobe of young rats drinking hypertonic sodium chloride solution. J Comp Neurol. 1977 Oct 15;175(4):373–390. doi: 10.1002/cne.901750402. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. RESKE-NIELSEN E., LUNDBAEK K. DIABETIC ENCEPHALOPATHY. DIFFUSE AND FOCAL LESIONS OF THE BRAIN IN LONG-TERM DIABETES. Acta Neurol Scand Suppl. 1963;39(4):SUPPL4–SUPPL4:290. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Raisman G. An ultrastructural study of the effects of hypophysectomy on the supraoptic nucleus of the rat. J Comp Neurol. 1973 Jan 15;147(2):181–207. doi: 10.1002/cne.901470204. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Rossi G. L., Bestetti G. Morphological changes in the hypothalamic-hypophyseal-gonadal axis of male rats after twelve months of streptozotocin-induced diabetes. Diabetologia. 1981 Nov;21(5):476–481. doi: 10.1007/BF00257789. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Russell J. A. Changes in nucleolar dry mass of neurones of the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei in the rat during pregnancy and lactation. Cell Tissue Res. 1980;208(2):313–325. doi: 10.1007/BF00234879. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Schmidt R. E., Plurad S. B., Olack B. J., Scharp D. W. The effect of pancreatic islet transplantation and insulin therapy on experimental diabetic autonomic neuropathy. Diabetes. 1983 Jun;32(6):532–540. doi: 10.2337/diab.32.6.532. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Sokol H. W., Valtin H. Morphology of the neurosecretory system in rats homozygous and heterozygous for hypothalamic diabetes insipidus (Brattleboro strain). Endocrinology. 1965 Oct;77(4):692–700. doi: 10.1210/endo-77-4-692. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Tay S. S., Wong W. C. Gracile nucleus of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. J Neurocytol. 1991 May;20(5):356–364. doi: 10.1007/BF01355532. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Tay S. S., Wong W. C. Long-term effects of alloxan-induced diabetes on the nucleus ventralis posterolateralis in the thalamus of the rat. Acta Anat (Basel) 1992;144(1):51–58. doi: 10.1159/000147285. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Tay S. S., Wong W. C. Ultrastructural changes in the gracile nucleus of the spontaneously diabetic BB rat. Histol Histopathol. 1991 Jan;6(1):43–53. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Yagihashi S., Sima A. A. Neuroaxonal and dendritic dystrophy in diabetic autonomic neuropathy. Classification and topographic distribution in the BB-rat. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol. 1986 Sep;45(5):545–565. doi: 10.1097/00005072-198609000-00005. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Young T. K. Depletion of antidiuretic hormone in the lituitary of rats with diabetes mellitus. Endocrinology. 1969 Apr;84(4):960–962. doi: 10.1210/endo-84-4-960. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Zambrano D., De Robertis E. The effect of castration upon the ultrastructure of the rat hypothalamus. I. Supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei. Z Zellforsch Mikrosk Anat. 1968;86(4):487–498. doi: 10.1007/BF00324860. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Zambrano D., De Robertis E. The secretory cycle of supraoptic neurons in the rat: a structural-functional correlation. Z Zellforsch Mikrosk Anat. 1966;73(3):414–431. doi: 10.1007/BF00329020. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Anatomy are provided here courtesy of Anatomical Society of Great Britain and Ireland

RESOURCES