title: [The distribution of caspase-3 positive apoptotic cells in 18 months old SD rat's brainstem compared with that in 3 months rat].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study whether there is apoptosis in brainstem neurons while aging by oberving the distribution of Caspase-3 positive apoptotic cells in in brainstem of young and old SD rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Healthy male SD rats were divided into 2 groups (3 and 18 month-old respectively), 3 rats each group. Brainstem specimens were treated followed the brainstem's common paraffin embedding, sectioning and HE staining procedures (sections were 6 μm in thickness). The sections were also determined by Caspase-3 immunostaining and TUNEL. The Caspase-3 positive cells on the rat stereotaxic atlas were drew, then composed the sections into a 3D model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to 3 month-old rats, there were more Caspase-3 positive neurons in the brainstem and the positive neurons were distributed more extensively in 18 month-old rats spectially in nucleus of solitary tract and pontine reticular nuclei.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  More neurons suffer apoptotic changes in the brainstem while aging.
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology, Embryology and Neurobiology,  Sichuan University,  Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Wei-wei
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Hui-ping
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Dan-hui
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Ruan
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiao-jiao
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000166:cytology*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: C505410:Casp3 protein, rat; D053148:Caspase 3