title: Age-related alterations in responses of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis neurons to frontal cortex stimulation in rats.
abstract: The present study investigated the age-related alterations in responses of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (nbM) neurons to frontal cortex (FCX) stimulation. Single unit extracellular recording from the nbM neurons were obtained with glass micropipettes in urethane-anesthetized rats. A total of 137 units were located within the nbM in the three age groups (young, 3 months; adult, 12 months; old, 24 months). FCX stimulation elicited responses in 91% of the 137 neurons. Most of them were excited. The frequency of occurrence of excitatory responses in the nbM neurons was decreased with aging. The thresholds and latencies of excitatory responses evoked by FCX stimulation were increased in old rats. The mean peak-firing rate of exciting phase was gradually reduced with aging. These findings indicate that there might be some functional changes in the nbM neurons with aging.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurobiology, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China. yuqzhang@fudan.edu.cn
authors.forename: Yu-Qiu
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Shao-Gang
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Lü
authors.forename: Ya-Ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Ge-Xin
authors.initials: GX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zhi-Qi
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mei
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D020532:Basal Nucleus of Meynert / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley