title: [Expression of choline acetyltransferase in the rat barrel cortex by electrical stimulation].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe a turning performance in the rats excited by using a proper electrical stimuli of the barrel cortex region (BC), and the expression of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) in the BC regions after electoral stimulation.
  
  
  METHODS
  SD rats were divided into three groups. The stimulation electrodes were surgically implanted into the bilateral BC regions in the control group and the experimental group rats. The experiment group post surgery for seven days was given the electrical impulses via connection with the electrodes for three times each day through consecutive three days. Three groups of the rats were killed and the brains were quickly removed for frozen sections and then performed with conventional HE and immunohistochemistry staining. And protein samples were prepared from brain and the hippocampus tissues of the three groups to detect the level of the ChAT protein by Western blot.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The experimental rats turn left or right when continuously stimulation in the bilateral BC regions with electric pulse. HE staining showed no significant damage around electrodes in the cerebral cortex. Compared with the control and blank groups, the ChAT positive rate in the brain section in the experimental rats was significantly high by immunohistochemistry assay; the level of the ChAT protein in the rats given the electrical stimulation increased.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Turnings performance of the rat could be initiated hy electrical stimuli in the BC region. Expression of ChAT is significantly higher in the BC regions of rat under electrical stimulation, suggesting that acetylcholine might be associated with signal transmission between senses and movement behavior in the nervous central system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Medical School, Zhengzhou University, China.
authors.forename: Hong-Kun
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Chun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yan-Yan
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiao-Ping
authors.initials: XP
authors.lastname: Le
authors.forename: Chun-Guang
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism*; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase; D000109:Acetylcholine