title: Age-related changes in the function and structure of the peripheral sensory pathway in mice.
abstract: This study is aimed at describing the changes occurring in the entire peripheral nervous system sensory pathway along a 2-year observation period in a cohort of C57BL/6 mice. The neurophysiological studies evidenced significant differences in the selected time points corresponding to childhood, young adulthood, adulthood, and aging (i.e., 1, 7, 15, and 25 months of age), with a parabolic course as function of time. The pathological assessment allowed to demonstrate signs of age-related changes since the age of 7 months, with a remarkable increase in both peripheral nerves and dorsal root ganglia at the subsequent time points. These changes were mainly in the myelin sheaths, as also confirmed by the Rotating-Polarization Coherent-Anti-stokes-Raman-scattering microscopy analysis. Evident changes were also present at the morphometric analysis performed on the peripheral nerves, dorsal root ganglia neurons, and skin biopsies. This extensive, multimodal characterization of the peripheral nervous system changes in aging provides the background for future mechanistic studies allowing the selection of the most appropriate time points and readouts according to the investigation aims.
authors.affiliation: Experimental Neurology Unit and Milan Center for Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy.
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Canta
authors.affiliation: Experimental Neurology Unit and Milan Center for Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy. Electronic address: alessia.chiorazzi@unimib.it.
authors.forename: Alessia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chiorazzi
authors.affiliation: Experimental Neurology Unit and Milan Center for Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy.
authors.forename: Valentina Alda
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Carozzi
authors.affiliation: Experimental Neurology Unit and Milan Center for Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Meregalli
authors.affiliation: Experimental Neurology Unit and Milan Center for Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy.
authors.forename: Norberto
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Oggioni
authors.affiliation: Experimental Neurology Unit and Milan Center for Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bossi
authors.affiliation: Experimental Neurology Unit and Milan Center for Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy.
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Menendez
authors.affiliation: Experimental Neurology Unit and Milan Center for Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy.
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Avezza
authors.affiliation: Istovet, Besana in Brianza, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Crippa
authors.affiliation: IRCCS Foundation "Carlo Besta" Neurological Institute, 3rd Neurology Unit, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Raffaella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lombardi
authors.affiliation: Center for Nanotechnology Innovation @NEST, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Pisa, Italy; NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: de Vito
authors.affiliation: Center for Nanotechnology Innovation @NEST, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Piazza
authors.affiliation: Experimental Neurology Unit and Milan Center for Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy.
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cavaletti
authors.affiliation: Experimental Neurology Unit and Milan Center for Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marmiroli
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D017933:Peripheral Nervous System / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012867:Skin / Q000294:innervation
keywords: Aging; Mice; Morphometric analysis; Nerve conduction velocity; Peripheral nervous system; RP-CARS