Spongiform degeneration in humans and animals is characterized by vacuolar change in the central nervous system

A. Spongiform degeneration in human diseases. Left to right, CJD prion plaque surrounded by vacuoles¹, counterstained with hematoxylin and eosin; CJD cerebral cortex², counterstained with hematoxylin and eosin; kuru cerebral cortex², counterstained with hematoxylin and eosin; and AD medial temporal lobe³, counterstained with hematoxylin and eosin. B. Spongiform degeneration in rodents. Left to right, brainstem from mouse infected with FrCasE retrovirus⁴, immunostained with anti-FrCasE surface glycoprotein; cortex from Mgrn1 null (Mgrn1^md-nc/Mgrn1^md-nc) mouse⁵, immunostained with anti-glial fibrillary acidic protein; cortex from mahogany (Atrn^mg3J / Atrn^mg3J) mouse⁵, immunostained with anti-glial fibrillary acidic protein; and EM of a brainstem vacuole from mahogany (Atrn^mg3J / Atrn^mg3J) mouse⁵.