Change in the distribution of acetylcholinesterase molecular forms in frontoparietal cortex of the rat following nucleus basalis lesions with kainic acid.

The unilateral injection of kainic acid into the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (NBM) resulted in an alteration of the distribution of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) molecular forms in frontoparietal cortex ipsilaterally to the lesion. The G4/G1 ratio fell from 5.4 +/- 0.8 in contralateral to 3.0 +/- 0.5 in ipsilateral cortex. The NBM lesion effect thus, mimicks, the loss of tetrameric G4 form reported for various brain cortical areas of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. The data support the suggestion that G4 form is enriched in presynaptic nerve terminals.