Quantitative analysis of the spatial distribution of axonal and dendritic terminals of hippocampal pyramidal neurons in immature human brain

Abstract A video version of the computer microscope was utilized to obtain three-dimensional coordinate information representing neuronal processes from Golgi-impregnated neurons. Pyramidal neurons from or near the CA3 zone of the hippocampus of an 18-week gestational age (g.a.) human fetus and of a 33-week g.a. human fetus were measured and analyzed according to their axonal and dendritic terminal spatial distributions. Both brain specimens were “normal” as defined by routine gross and microscopic examinations. Polar angle and H-distributions for these terminals were obtained which suggest, in part, that the large majority of axonal terminals end at a level below their respective soma locations. The data also suggest that the dendritic terminals appear to be polarized in the older (33 weeks g.a.) specimen. This polarization is manifested in the polar angle distribution where the large majority of apical (basal) dendritic terminals possess low (high) polar angles. In addition, radial separation and cylindrical radius distributions were obtained which indicate that the extent of these axonal and dendritic terminals increases approximately threefold during this period of growth (18th to 33rd week of gestation). It was shown that this system is capable of generating computer tracings from the three-dimensional coordinate data which possess a high degree of accuracy, at least compared to corresponding camera lucida drawings.

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