title: Age-related ultrastructural and monoamine oxidase changes in the rat optic nerve.
abstract: The aim of this paper is to study the morphology and the distribution of the monoamine oxidase enzymatic system in the optic nerve of 4 month-old Wistar (young) and 28 month-old Wistar (old) rats. The optic nerve was harvested from 20 young and old rats. The segment of optic nerve was divided longitudinally into two pieces, each 0.1 mm in length. The first piece was used for transmission electron microscopy. The second piece was stained with histochemical reaction for monoamine oxidase. The agerelated changes in the optic nerve of rats include micro-anatomical details, ultrastructure and monoamine oxidase histochemical staining. A strong decrease of the thin nerve fibers and a swelling of the thick ones can be observed in optic nerve fibers of old rats. Increased monoamine oxidase histochemical staining of the optic nerve of aged rats is well demonstrated. The increase of meningeal shealth and the decrease of thin nerve fibers of the optic nerve in old rats are well documented. Morphological, ultrastructural and histochemical changes observed in optic nerve fibers of the old rats show a close relation with aging.
authors.affiliation: IRCCS G.B. Bietti Foundation, Rome.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Taurone
authors.affiliation: IRCCS G.B. Bietti Foundation, Rome.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ripandelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Sensory Organs, Sapienza University of Rome.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Minni
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology Vittorio Erspamer, Sapienza University of Rome.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lattanzi
authors.affiliation: Anatomical, Histological, Medico-legal and Locomotor System Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miglietta
authors.affiliation: Anatomical, Histological, Medico-legal and Locomotor System Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pepe
authors.affiliation: Anatomical, Histological, Medico-legal and Locomotor System Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fumagalli
authors.affiliation: IRCCS G.B. Bietti Foundation, Rome.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Micera
authors.affiliation: Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: F S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Pastore
authors.affiliation: Department of Sensory Organs, Sapienza University of Rome.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Artico
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008995:Monoamine Oxidase / Q000032:analysis*; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000201:enzymology; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000201:enzymology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D009900:Optic Nerve / Q000201:enzymology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D008995:Monoamine Oxidase