MORPHOLOGICAL STUDIES ON NEUROGLIAL CELLS IN THE CORPUS CALLOSUM OF THE JIMPY MUTANT MOUSE

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Abstract
Quantitative investigations on the glial population in the corpus callosum were carried out on 7 Jimpy mice and on 4 normal controls of the same strain and age. A statistical analysis revealed a significant (p = 0.01) increase in the relative number of all spongioblastic cell types (large glial precursors) and a decrease in the relative number of astrocytes (15.4%) and oligodendrocytes (14.1%). However the relative number of small dark cells (small glioblasts) was similar to that of controls. The present findings suggest a delay in the differentiation of glial cells of Jimpy mice. Some spontaneous mutations in laboratory animals provide models of genetically determined disorders of the central nervous system. As reported by other authors (Sidman, 1965; Sidman et al., 1964), Jimpy mice offer new opportunities for studying the formation and function of myelin as well as the conditions in leucodystrophy (Sidman and Hayes, 1965). More recent studies death with ultrastructural changes in myelin sheath and myelin formation (Hirano et al., 1969). Neurochemical investigations suggested a serious alteration of those glial cells which are essential for myelination of the central nervous system (Nescovic et al., 1969). Histochemical studies (Torii et al., 1971) revealed the absence of myelination and the presence of sudanophilic material in the cerebellum at 12 to 15 days after birth, which increased after three weeks of age. Glial cell changes were mentioned by Frakas et al. (1970) and Torii et al. (1971). In an attempt to obtain further information on morphological changes in the neuroglial cell population of the Jimpy mutant mouse, the properties of the different glial cell types were studied quantitatively in the corpus callosum and compared with normal controls.

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