van Luijtelaar M G, Tonnaer J A, Steinbusch H W
Department of Pharmacology, Free University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Neurobiol Aging. 1992 Mar-Apr;13(2):201-15. doi: 10.1016/0197-4580(92)90032-s.
Age-related changes in both morphological and neurochemical parameters of indol- and catecholaminergic system in the rat brain were examined. A qualitative histochemical survey of the occurrence of aberrant serotonergic fibers in the aged rat brain suggests region-specificity in the process of degeneration. Forebrain areas, such as the caudate-putamen complex, globus pallidus, prefrontal and frontoparietal cortices were consistently affected, whereas serotonergic fibers were only infrequently affected in other areas like septal and amygdaloid nuclei. Neurochemical data similarly revealed regional differences. 5-Hydroxytryptamine levels were increased in the frontoparietal cortex, hippocampus, hypothalamus and the mesencephalic raphe region but remained unchanged in the caudate-putamen complex. 5-Hydroxyindolacetic acid levels were also enhanced in all these areas. Examination of brains of 12-, 18- and 24-month-old rats revealed that aberrant serotonergic fibers were already present at the age of 12 months and their incidence increase with age. There was no difference in the number of serotonergic cells in the dorsal raphe nucleus of young and aged rats. Aberrant tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive fibers were observed only infrequently. Their occurrence showed no overlap with the areas containing aberrant serotonergic fibers. Neurochemical estimates of the levels of catecholamines in young versus aged rat brain areas similarly revealed regional and neurotransmitter specific differences to occur during the process of aging.
研究了大鼠大脑中吲哚胺能和儿茶酚胺能系统在形态学和神经化学参数方面与年龄相关的变化。对老年大鼠大脑中异常血清素能纤维出现情况的定性组织化学调查表明，退化过程具有区域特异性。前脑区域，如尾状核 - 壳核复合体、苍白球、前额叶和额顶叶皮质持续受到影响，而在隔核和杏仁核等其他区域，血清素能纤维仅偶尔受到影响。神经化学数据同样揭示了区域差异。额顶叶皮质、海马体、下丘脑和中脑缝际区域的5 - 羟色胺水平升高，但尾状核 - 壳核复合体中的水平保持不变。所有这些区域的5 - 羟吲哚乙酸水平也有所提高。对12个月、18个月和24个月大的大鼠大脑进行检查发现，12个月大时就已存在异常血清素能纤维，且其发生率随年龄增加。年轻大鼠和老年大鼠背缝际核中血清素能细胞的数量没有差异。仅偶尔观察到异常酪氨酸羟化酶免疫反应性纤维。它们的出现与含有异常血清素能纤维的区域没有重叠。对年轻大鼠和老年大鼠脑区儿茶酚胺水平的神经化学估计同样表明，衰老过程中会出现区域和神经递质特异性差异。
