Abstract
Accumulated evidence indicates chronic systemic injection of D-galactose mimics aging progress induced by oxidative stress. We addressed whether memory impairment in this model was associated with the cholinergic septohippocampal degeneration. Rats injected with D-galactose for 6 weeks showed impairment of spatial learning and memory as measured by the water maze test. Correspondingly, anti-choline acetyltransferase immunohistochemistry demonstrated a severe loss of cholinergic terminals in the hippocampus accompanied by a mild cholinergic neuronal atrophy and loss in the medial septum and the nucleus of the vertical limb of the diagonal band of Broca. A major synaptic degeneration in the hippocampus was confirmed by ultrastructural analysis. These findings provide neuropathological evidence for rodents with chronic injection of D-galactose as a promising model for brain aging and age-related neurodegeneration.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Aging / physiology
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Animals
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Behavior, Animal / drug effects
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Behavior, Animal / physiology*
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Choline O-Acetyltransferase / genetics
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Choline O-Acetyltransferase / metabolism*
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Galactose / administration & dosage
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Galactose / toxicity
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Hippocampus / drug effects
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Hippocampus / metabolism*
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Hippocampus / pathology
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Immunohistochemistry
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Injections, Subcutaneous
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Male
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Maze Learning / drug effects
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Maze Learning / physiology
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Memory / drug effects
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Memory / physiology
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Microscopy, Electron
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Nerve Degeneration / chemically induced
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Nerve Degeneration / physiopathology
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Neurons / drug effects
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Neurons / metabolism*
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Neurons / pathology
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Rats
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Rats, Sprague-Dawley
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Septal Nuclei / drug effects
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Septal Nuclei / metabolism*
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Septal Nuclei / pathology
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Spatial Behavior / drug effects
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Spatial Behavior / physiology
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Synapses / drug effects
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Synapses / physiology
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Synapses / ultrastructure
Substances
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Choline O-Acetyltransferase
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Galactose