title: Cholinergic innervation of pial arteries in senescent rats: an immunohistochemical study.
abstract: Perivascular acetylcholine (ACh)-immunoreactive nerve fibres were demonstrated in basilar and middle cerebral arteries, in pial arteries and arterioles and in intracerebral arteries of male Fisher 344 rats of 6 months (young), 15 months (adult) and 22 months (senescent). Analysis included whole mounts of basilar and middle cerebral arteries, of pial arteries and sections of brain including pia-arachnoid membrane to demonstrate the localization of nerve fibres throughout the wall of pial and of intracerebral arteries. ACh-immunoreactive nerve fibres were demonstrated by indirect immunohistochemistry using a polyclonal anti-ACh antibody and their relative density was quantified. Perivascular ACh-immunoreactive nerve fibres were located in basilar and middle cerebral arteries, in pial arteries and arterioles and in intracerebral arteries. These fibres were found in the adventitia and adventitia-media border with a higher density in pial rather than in intracerebral arteries. A decrease of ACh-immunoreactive nerve fibres was observed both in pial and intracerebral arteries of adult or senescent rats compared to younger cohorts. The direct demonstration of ACh-immunoreactive nerve fibres in the cerebrovascular tree may contribute to evaluate the influence of experimental and pathological conditions on cerebrovascular cholinergic neuroeffector mechanisms, including a role of cholinergic innervation in the pathophysiology of cerebrovascular disease of the elderly.
authors.affiliation: Sezione di Anatomia Umana, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Medicina Sperimentale, Università di Camerino, Via Scalzino, 3, 62032, Camerino, Italy. d.assouad@inwind.it
authors.forename: Dahuk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: El-Assouad
authors.forename: Seyed Khosrow
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Tayebati
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000032:analysis; D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D001160:Arterioles / Q000737:chemistry / Q000294:innervation / Q000473:pathology; D001488:Basilar Artery / Q000737:chemistry / Q000294:innervation / Q000473:pathology; D002536:Cerebral Arteries / Q000294:innervation* / Q000473:pathology; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000098:blood supply; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D020768:Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000737:chemistry / Q000294:innervation / Q000473:pathology; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D009778:Occipital Lobe / Q000098:blood supply; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344
chemical_list: D000109:Acetylcholine