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. 1997 Oct;191(Pt 3):347–353. doi: 10.1046/j.1469-7580.1997.19130347.x

Total number and size distribution of motor neurons in the spinal cord of normal and EMC-virus infected mice — a stereological study

UNO J WEBER 1, TROELS BOCK 1, KARSTEN BUSCHARD 1, BENTE PAKKENBERG 1
PMCID: PMC1467692  PMID: 9418991

Abstract

The encephalomyocarditis virus of the diabetogenic M-strain (EMC-M) is known to cause diabetes in mice. The EMC-M virus has also been shown to cause paresis in some of the infected animals. The clinical features include an acute ascending predominantly motor paralysis, developing within days. This resembles acute idiopathic polyneuritis. The alpha motor neurons would be a possible target for the virus, so two parameters, the total number and the size distribution of motor neurons, were therefore selected for further investigation in 6 mice with neurological involvement and compared with 6 control mice. The optical fractionator method was applied for estimating the total number of motor neurons and the 3D size distribution was estimated using the rotator method in a vertical design. No difference was found in the total number of motor neurons and the size distributions were similar in the 2 groups. This design can be used as a model for the estimation of the total number of motor neurons and their size distribution in other experimental animal models.

Keywords: Encephalomyocarditis virus, acute idiopathic polyneuritis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, motoneuron size, stereology, optical fractionator

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Selected References

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