title: Age-related loss of calbindin from human basal forebrain cholinergic neurons.
abstract: Loss of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons (BFCN) occurs in many age-related neurological diseases. Although age is the common risk factor in these disorders, no consistent age-related changes have been reported in the human BFCN. We investigated age-related alterations in choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), low-affinity nerve growth factor receptor (p75LNGFR) and calbindin-D28k (CalBP) immunoreactivity in the human BFCN. No significant age-related changes were observed in ChAT or p75LNGFR immunoreactivity. By contrast, normal aging was accompanied by a selective, substantial and significant loss of CalBP immunoreactivity from the BFCN. Other CalBP-positive neurons were unchanged. Loss of the calcium buffering capacity conferred by CalBP may leave the BFCN vulnerable to damage in neurodegenerative disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: C K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Mesulam
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Geula
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D064092:Calbindin 1; D064026:Calbindins; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020800:Receptor, Nerve Growth Factor; D017475:Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D064030:S100 Calcium Binding Protein G / Q000378:metabolism*; D013377:Substantia Innominata / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C576498:CALB1 protein, human; D064092:Calbindin 1; D064026:Calbindins; D020800:Receptor, Nerve Growth Factor; D017475:Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor; D064030:S100 Calcium Binding Protein G; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase