- 期刊
高爾基與卡哈的諾貝爾獎百年慶－現代神經科學的誕生和神經系統構造的世紀爭論
Centennial of the Nobel Prize for Golgi and Cajal-Founding of Modern Neuroscience and Irony of Discovery
摘要
1906年，高爾基(Camillo Golgi，1843-1926)和卡哈(Santiago Ramón y Cajal，1852-1934)，因為對神經系統結構的研究有傑出的貢獻，共同獲得諾貝爾醫學獎。不尋常的是，此項殊榮的提名過程就爭議不斷，因為Golgi主張「reticular theory」，Cajal卻主張「neuron theory」，兩人意見南轅北轍。另外，無獨有偶，Cajal是應用Golgi發明的「黑色反應」染色方法做研究，似有以其人之道還治其人之身的恩怨之嫌。 Golgi在1873年發展出神經細胞的新染色方法，稱為「黑色反應」，能清楚看到神經細胞的整個面貌，包括軸突和樹狀突。因為新染色法只能染3%的神經細胞，故有優點亦有缺點：優點是染成的黑色細胞，稀稀疏疏點綴在淡黃色的背景，如銀子鑲刻，顯得格外清楚，鉅細靡遺；缺點是無法看清楚細胞與細胞之間藉其分歧接觸時，是否有實體的接合。因此，Golgi依舊支持當時流行的「reticular theory」。 Cajal在1887年才看到Golgi新方法染色的大腦標本。他形容像被「一道閃電」電到，馬上認為這是他一直在尋找的染色方法。Cajal發現，Golgi的染色方法對無髓鞘神經最好，因而選擇鳥類和年幼哺乳類的腦做研究，成果優異。Cajal發現，神經細胞之間的相連未有實質的接觸，而提倡「neuron theory」。 如今回顧歷史，Golgi似乎過鈴固執己見，也過於保守，而一直支持「reticular theory」。相反地，Cajal鍥而不捨的研究，不但發現神經系統的構造和功能單位是細胞，它們彼此之間沒有直接接觸；更進一步探討神經的退化與再生，胚胎腦的發展，學習與突觸(synapse)的關係，突觸的化學特異性，等。由於當時的西班牙被認為是歐洲學術的落後地區，cajal的崛起和獲得諾貝爾獎，使他成為民族英雄，也建立了西班牙的神經學派。
並列摘要
In 1906, Golgi and Ramón y Cajal shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine ”in recognition of their work on the structure of the nervous system”. However, it was an unusual occasion in the history of Nobel Prize award because their views on the structure of the nervous system were not only different but even opposite, creating the ”storm center of histological controversy”. Furthermore, the new staining method Cajal had employed to study the nervous system was developed by Golgi, creating an irony of discovery. In 1873, Golgi revolutionized the histological study of the nervous system by developing a new staining method, ”la reazione near” or black reaction, which allowed good visualization of axons, dendrites and glia. But because his stain was so selective, staining only about 3 percent of neurons, he was unable to see clearly how the neuronal processes ended as they approached other neurons. Consequently, he embraced the popular belief that neuronal processes physically fuse with each other-the ”reticular theory”. On the other hand, Cajal was incidentally introduced to the Golgi stain 14 years after its discovery and immediately realized its beauty. He found that better results could be produced by staining more intensely and cutting thicker sections. He further observed that the Golgi stain worked best on non-myelinated axons. The search for brains containing non-myelinated axons led him to study birds and very young mammals, including embryos. Cajal obtained fascinating results by modifying the Golgi stain and by studying avian and young mammalian brains. From those studies, Cajal was able to infer that axons and dendrites ended freely and did not physically anastomose. Therefore, he strongly advocated the ”neuron theory”. Golgi seemed to be too headstrong and too conservative to relinquish his belief that neurons constitute a network which reacts as a whole. On the other hand, Cajal's hard work using the Golgi stain led to new understanding on the structure and function of the nervous system, and earned him ”the founder of modern neuroscience”. This centennial occasion may be further impressed by Cajal's comment on the shared Nobel Prize that ”what a cruel irony of fate of pair, like Siamese twins united by the shoulders, scientific adversaries of such contrasting character!”.