Cholinergic forebrain degeneration in the APPswe/PS1DeltaE9 transgenic mouse.
The impact of Abeta deposition upon cholinergic intrinsic cortical and striatal, as well as basal forebrain long projection neuronal systems was qualitatively and quantitatively evaluated in young (2-6 months) and middle-aged (10-16 months) APPswe/PS1DeltaE9 transgenic (tg) mice. Cholinergic neuritic swellings occurred as early as 2-3 months of age in the cortex and hippocampus and 5-6 months in the striatum of tg mice. However, cholinergic neuron number or choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) optical density measurements remained unchanged in the forebrain structures with age in APPswe/PS1DeltaE9 tg mice. ChAT enzyme activity decreased significantly in the cortex and hippocampus of middle-aged tg mice. These results suggest that Abeta deposition has age-dependent effects on cortical and hippocampal ChAT fiber networks and enzyme activity, but does not impact the survival of cholinergic intrinsic or long projection forebrain neurons in APPswe/PS1DeltaE9 tg mice.
Department of Neurological Sciences, Alla V. and Solomon Jesmer Chair in Aging, Rush University Medical Center, 1735 W. Harrison Street, Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
Sylvia E
SE
Perez
Saleem
S
Dar
Milos D
MD
Ikonomovic
Steven T
ST
DeKosky
Elliott J
EJ
Mufson
D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000378:metabolism; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D002799:Cholinergic Fibers / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000473:pathology*; D016548:Prosencephalon / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*
D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase; D000109:Acetylcholine