Abstract

The present review describes the pathological changes of shaft dendrites in most central nervous diseases. We have illustrated most pathological changes using cortical biopsies of patients with congenital hydrocephalus, severe and complicated traumatic brain injuries, and brain tumors.  Swollen and beaded dendrites exhibit fragmentation of limiting plasma membrane, cytomembranes and cytoskeletal structures. The swollen dendrites show vacuolization, dense residual bodies, enlarged rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum, edematous clear and dark mitochondria. The multifactorial processes associated with brain edema and brain ischemia, such as calcium overload, activation of calcium-dependent proteolitic enzymes, protein aggregation, glutamate-induced neurotoxicity, release of lysosomal enzymes, deficit of ATP, stress oxidative and lipid peroxidation have been considered in relation with pathological dendritic changes. Dendrotoxicity due to brain edema and brain ischemia seems to be the fundamental pathogenetic mechanism underlying the dendritic damage.   

Keywords

dendrites, brain edema, brain trauma, hydrocephalus, brain tumors, electron microscopy, ATP, NMDA, Alzheimer’s disease, smooth endoplasmic reticulum, medial prefrontal cortex