Zoli M, Ferraguti F, Toffano G, Fuxe K, Agnati L F
Institute of Human Physiology, University of Modena, Italy.
J Chem Neuroanat. 1993 May-Jun;6(3):131-45. doi: 10.1016/0891-0618(93)90023-w.
Numerical changes in the overall neostriatal neuronal population have been investigated by morphometric analysis of Nissl-stained and glucocorticoid receptor-immunoreactive neurons. Number and staining intensity of various chemically-identified nerve cell populations were analysed by means of immunocytochemistry coupled with computer-assisted image analysis. Three- and 24-month-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were used. No change in the number of Nissl-stained, glucocorticoid receptor-, dopamine and adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate-regulated phosphoprotein- and enkephalin-immunoreactive neurons and a 50% decrease of neuropeptide Y-immunoreactive neurons were observed in the aged rat. In our preparations, the glucocorticoid receptor antibody stains around 90% of the neostriatal neurons, the dopamine and adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate-regulated phosphoprotein and enkephalin antibodies label 25-35% and the neuropeptide Y antibody stains only 1% of neostriatal neurons. In the same preparations a significant decrease in the intensity of immunostaining was observed for enkephalin-, dopamine and adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate-regulated phosphoprotein- and neuropeptide Y-immunoreactive neuronal cell bodies and tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive nerve terminals in the aged rat. In the case of neuropeptide Y- and dopamine and adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate-regulated phosphoprotein-immunoreactive neurons, the changes in the intensity of immunostaining were differentially compartmentalized within neostriatum, suggesting selective vulnerability of striatal subregions to ageing processes. In conclusion, these data indicate that no significant age-related neuronal cell loss occurs in neostriatum. On the other hand, a generalized decrease in the levels of peptide transmitters and molecules related to dopamine transmission is observed in aged rat neostriatum, possibly resulting in the known age-related deficits of neostriatally-controlled behaviours.
通过对尼氏染色和糖皮质激素受体免疫反应性神经元的形态计量分析，研究了新纹状体神经元总体数量的变化。采用免疫细胞化学结合计算机辅助图像分析的方法，分析了各种化学鉴定的神经细胞群体的数量和染色强度。使用3个月和24个月大的雄性斯普拉格-道利大鼠。在老年大鼠中，未观察到尼氏染色、糖皮质激素受体、多巴胺和3':5'-环磷酸腺苷调节磷蛋白以及脑啡肽免疫反应性神经元数量的变化，而神经肽Y免疫反应性神经元数量减少了50%。在我们的标本中，糖皮质激素受体抗体可标记约90%的新纹状体神经元，多巴胺和3':5'-环磷酸腺苷调节磷蛋白以及脑啡肽抗体标记25%-35%的新纹状体神经元，神经肽Y抗体仅标记1%的新纹状体神经元。在相同标本中，老年大鼠脑啡肽、多巴胺和3':5'-环磷酸腺苷调节磷蛋白以及神经肽Y免疫反应性神经元细胞体和酪氨酸羟化酶免疫反应性神经末梢的免疫染色强度显著降低。对于神经肽Y以及多巴胺和3':5'-环磷酸腺苷调节磷蛋白免疫反应性神经元，免疫染色强度的变化在新纹状体内呈差异性分布，表明纹状体亚区对衰老过程具有选择性易损性。总之，这些数据表明新纹状体中未发生与年龄相关的显著神经元细胞丢失。另一方面，在老年大鼠新纹状体中观察到肽类递质和与多巴胺传递相关分子水平的普遍下降，这可能导致了已知的与年龄相关的新纹状体控制行为缺陷。
