Chronic systemic injection of D-galactose impairs the septohippocampal cholinergic system in rats.
Accumulated evidence indicates chronic systemic injection of D-galactose mimics aging progress induced by oxidative stress. We addressed whether memory impairment in this model was associated with the cholinergic septohippocampal degeneration. Rats injected with D-galactose for 6 weeks showed impairment of spatial learning and memory as measured by the water maze test. Correspondingly, anti-choline acetyltransferase immunohistochemistry demonstrated a severe loss of cholinergic terminals in the hippocampus accompanied by a mild cholinergic neuronal atrophy and loss in the medial septum and the nucleus of the vertical limb of the diagonal band of Broca. A major synaptic degeneration in the hippocampus was confirmed by ultrastructural analysis. These findings provide neuropathological evidence for rodents with chronic injection of D-galactose as a promising model for brain aging and age-related neurodegeneration.
Key Laboratory of Neurodegeneration, Department of Anatomy, Histology and Pharmacology, Jiangsu Province Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, P.R. China.
Ming
M
Lei
Yang
Y
Su
Xiangdong
X
Hua
Jiong
J
Ding
Qunying
Q
Han
Gang
G
Hu
Ming
M
Xiao
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005690:Galactose / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012686:Septal Nuclei / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D013037:Spatial Behavior / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013569:Synapses / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure
D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase; D005690:Galactose