title: Age-related alterations of Nestin-immunoreactive neurons in rat basal forebrain with aged memory deficit.
abstract: Age-related and aged memory deficit changes in Nestin-immunoreactive (Nestin-IR) neurons were studied following recent evidence of distinct Nestin-IR neurons within adult rat basal forebrain. Morris water maze task assessed spatial learning capacity of 3- and 24-month rats (aged-impaired and aged-unimpaired groups). Nestin-IR neuron distributional and morphological features were investigated by immunohistochemistry and positive neuronal number calculation. Nestin-IR neuron number declined with aging, especially aged-impaired. Significant negative correlations existed between average escape latencies and Nestin-IR neuron number in medial septum-diagonal band of Broca (MS-DBB). Correlations of rostral portion [medial septum (MS) and vertical limb diagonal band (vDB)] were higher than caudal portion [horizontal limb diagonal band (hDB)]. Aged-impaired showed reduced complexity of Nestin-IR neuron dendrite arborization and dendritic length. Nestin-IR astrocyte-like cells appeared scattered among Nestin-IR neurons on some aged-impaired slices. In conclusion, aged-impaired rats showed worse cognitive spatial performance and less Nestin-IR neuronal number compared to aged-unimpaired. Nestin-IR neuronal loss and morphological changes are some pathological characteristics of rat aged basal forebrain and may be important in neurobiological mechanisms of brain aging and aged memory deficit.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Repiblic of China. dongpeili@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Dongpei
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jianmin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: David T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Yew
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lucy Forster
authors.forename: Zhibin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yao
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D020532:Basal Nucleus of Meynert / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002452:Cell Count; D016923:Cell Death / Q000502:physiology; D003712:Dendrites / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000502:physiology; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D064231:Nestin; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012686:Septal Nuclei / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C577486:Nes protein, rat; D064231:Nestin