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Alzheimer type 2 astrocytosis, H&E x 400 and

Last updated on Wednesday, April 15 2009 by gliageek

Alzheimer type 2 astrocytosis, H&E x 400 and

In metabolic encephalopathies, astrocytes may be called upon to detoxify the extracellular environment. This requires a change in metabolism away from the production of glial filaments, resulting in a "naked nuclei gliosis", which tends to be quite subtle, manifest only as doublets and clusters of glial cells with slightly enlarged, optically clear nuclei (indicating active nuclear transcription). This photograph illustrates another unusual feature seen within these metabolically active astrocytes: Lipofuscin granules within the cytoplasm of the reactive astrocyte in the center of the photograph.

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