title: Microtubule associated protein 2 and choline acetyltransferase immunoreactivity in the lumbar spinal cord of young adult and aged dogs.
abstract: German Shepherds are a good model for research about aging and neurological disorders such as lumbosacral spinal canal stenosis. We compared neurons, glia and cholinergic neurons in the ventral horn of the lumbar spinal cord (L(3)) between adult (1-2 years old) and aged (10-12 years old) groups. Any pathological findings were not found by hematoxylin and eosin staining and neurological examination, and the number of NeuN (a marker for neurons)-positive neurons were similar in both groups. Microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) immunoreactive dendrites in the aged dog were decreased without any change in β-tubulin protein level. Glial fibrillary acidic protein (a marker for astrocytes) and ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 (a marker for microglia) immunoreactivity were not significantly changed in both groups. The number of ChAT immunoreactive neurons was decreased; however, its protein level was not significantly changed in the aged group. These results suggest that numbers of ventral horn neurons are not changed, but cholinergic neurons may change in aged dogs compared to adult dogs.
authors: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Research Institute for Veterinary Science, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, South Korea.
authors: I K
authors: IK
authors: Hwang
authors: D Y
authors: DY
authors: Yoo
authors: K-Y
authors: KY
authors: Yoo
authors: J H
authors: JH
authors: Choi
authors: H J
authors: HJ
authors: Lee
authors: C H
authors: CH
authors: Lee
authors: S M
authors: SM
authors: Moon
authors: Y L
authors: YL
authors: Lee
authors: H-C
authors: HC
authors: Shin
authors: M-H
authors: MH
authors: Won
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D004285:Dogs; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D014404:Tubulin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D014404:Tubulin; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase