Purkinje neuron loss and brain changes in Scottish Terrier cerebellar

Abstract

A hereditary cerebellar degenerative disorder has emerged in Scottish Terriers. The aims of this study were to describe and quantify polyglucosan body accumulation and quantify Purkinje neurons in the cerebellum of affected and control dogs. The brains of 6 affected Scottish Terriers ranging in age from 8 to 15 years and 8 age-matched control dogs were examined histopathologically. Counts of Purkinje neurons and polyglucosan bodies were performed in control and affected dogs on cerebellar sections stained with periodic acid-Schiff. Affected dogs showed a significant loss of Purkinje neurons compared with control dogs (vermis: P < .0001; hemisphere: P = .0104). The degeneration was significantly more pronounced dorsally than ventrally (P < .0001). There were significantly more polyglucosan bodies in the ventral half of the vermis when compared with the dorsal half (P < .0001) in affected dogs. In addition, there were more polyglucosan bodies in the ventral half of the vermis in affected dogs than in control dogs (P = .0005). Polyglucosan bodies in all affected dogs stained positively with toluidine blue and alcian blue. Immunohistochemically, polyglucosan bodies in affected dogs were positive for neurofilament 200 kD and ubiquitin and negative for glial fibrillary acidic protein, synaptophysin, neurospecific enolase, vimentin, and S100; the bodies were negative for all antigens in control dogs. Ultrastructurally, polyglucosan bodies in 1 affected dog were non-membrane-bound, amorphous structures with a dense core. This study demonstrates significant Purkinje cell loss and increased polyglucosan bodies in the cerebellum of affected Scottish Terriers.