title: Age-related changes in the rat hippocampus.
abstract: The human brain is uniquely powerful in its cognitive abilities, yet the hippocampal and neocortical circuits that mediate these complex functions are highly vulnerable during aging. In this study, we analyzed age-related changes in the rat hippocampus by studying newborn (1 month), middle-aged (12 months), and older (24 months) male and female Sprague-Dawley rats. We evaluated neuronal dystrophy, neuron scattering, and granulovacuolar degeneration in the hippocampal area using light microscopy, according to age and gender. We detected significant neuronal dystrophy in the CA1, CA2, and CA3 areas in male rats, and in the CA1, CA3, and CA4 areas in female rats. Degenerative changes, indicated by neuron scattering, were observed in the CA1, CA2, and CA3 areas of male and the CA2 and CA4 areas of female rats. Changes in all areas of the hippocampus were observed with increasing age; these changes included neuronal dystrophy and neuron scattering and did not differ significantly between male and female rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Duzce University, Konuralp 81620, Duzce, Turkey. merihis@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Merih
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Is
authors.forename: Nil Ustundag
authors.initials: NU
authors.lastname: Comunoglu
authors.forename: Cem
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Comunoglu
authors.forename: Bulent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Eren
authors.forename: Isin Dogan
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Ekici
authors.forename: Ferda
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ozkan
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging; D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009410:Nerve Degeneration; D019150:Neuroaxonal Dystrophies / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor