engleski

Expression of perineuronal nets in the human insula during fetal and perinatal development

Perineuronal nets (PNNs) are lattice-like structures in the brain which are formed by the brain extracellular matrix condensing around certain neurons, as early as 12 PCW. Today it is well known that PNNs have a vital role in the fetal development and normal functioning of the brain. The insula is a region of the brain which, due to its complexity, still eludes our full understanding. The aim of this study was to determine the expression of PNNs in the human fetal and perinatal insula using Wisteria Floribunda Agglutinin (WFA) in 30 fetal and 5 perinatal human brains. The results showed that the different layers of the insula do in fact express the WFA reactivity differently and specifically. While there were no visible pericellular WFA staining in the marginal zone, the cortical plate showed a distinct pattern of WFA reactivity, where the PNNs were first visible around immature neurons at around 28 PCW, with older specimens expressing them progressively stronger and more numerous, especially in the deeper layers. In the presublplate zone, possible pericellular WFA reactivity can be seen in the deeper layers as early as 22 PCW. Convincing examples of pericellular WFA staining in the subplate zone can however be seen from 28 PCW onward, with the oldest specimens having intense diffuse WFA staining making the characteristic pericellular staining hard to observe. This layer is indeed one where the diffuse WFA staining can be seen most intensely throughout the observed periods. Lastly, in the intermediate zone, possible WFA pericellular reactivitycan be seen in this layer, progressively more intensely throughout the fetal development. In conclusion, this research shows and describes the onset and the development of PNNs in the human insula, which, knowing the vast number of cortical functions the PNNs perform in the normal as well as pathological brain, shows the direction where future investigative and therapeutically approaches could be performed.

Wisteria floribunda agglutinin ; brain development

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