Effects of traumatic brain injury on the cholinergic system in the rat.
Rats subjected to a mild to moderate fluid percussion injury exhibit memory deficits that are similar to rats that have received lesions of the septohippocampal system. Because the cholinergic system plays a major role in septohippocampal function, we studied the kinetics of the synthetic enzyme for acetylcholine, choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), at 1 h, 24 h, or 5 days after a fluid percussion injury. Decreases in ChAT activity were found in the dorsal hippocampus (25%), frontal (32%), and temporal (23%) cortices 1 h after injury. In the parietal cortex, a greater than 50% increase in ChAT activity was observed at all time intervals assessed. At 5 days after TBI, there was an 18% increase in ChAT activity in the medial septal area. These data provide evidence that a mild to moderate fluid percussion injury produces changes in the cholinergic system in brain areas related to memory.
Gorman
L K
LK
Department of Anesthesiology/CCM, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA.
Fu
K
K
Hovda
D A
DA
Murray
M
M
Traystman
R J
RJ
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000201:enzymology; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism*; D018728:Entorhinal Cortex / Q000201:enzymology; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000201:enzymology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000201:enzymology; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D009778:Occipital Lobe / Q000201:enzymology; D009928:Organ Specificity; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000201:enzymology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000201:enzymology; D013997:Time Factors
D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase