Silverman W F, Sladek J R
Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, NY.
Brain Res Dev Brain Res. 1991 Jan 15;58(1):25-34. doi: 10.1016/0165-3806(91)90233-9.
Magnocellular neurosecretory neurons in the supraoptic nucleus were examined in aged and young subjects to assess the ultrastructural correlates of cellular activity including cell, nuclear and nucleolar size, as well as the percentage of the cell occupied by Golgi, mitochondrial and rough endoplasmic reticulum compartments. Morphometric analysis was performed on arbitrarily selected cell profiles using a computerized morphometry protocol. Approximately 50% of those neurons examined from aged subjects exhibited a statistically significant increase relative to the young rats in total cell area and all cellular organelles examined except nuclear area. Moreover, an increase in the number and density (per unit membrane area) of synaptic contacts onto those neurons was observed. These findings suggest an increase in synthetic activity by a subpopulation of supraoptic magnocellular neurons, and support the concept of neuronal plasticity in aged rats.
研究了老年和年轻受试者视上核中的大细胞神经分泌神经元，以评估细胞活动的超微结构相关性，包括细胞、细胞核和核仁大小，以及高尔基体、线粒体和粗面内质网区室所占细胞的百分比。使用计算机形态测量方案对任意选择的细胞轮廓进行形态测量分析。与年轻大鼠相比，老年受试者中约50%接受检查的神经元在总细胞面积以及除核面积外所有检查的细胞器方面均表现出统计学上的显著增加。此外，观察到这些神经元上突触接触的数量和密度（每单位膜面积）有所增加。这些发现表明视上核大细胞神经元亚群的合成活动增加，并支持老年大鼠神经元可塑性的概念。
