Selective brain neuronal and glial losses without changes in GFAP immunoreactivity: Young versus mature adult Wistar rats

Publication date: Available online 9 August 2019Source: Mechanisms of Ageing and DevelopmentAuthor(s): Leonardo D. Diene, Zaquer S.M. Costa-Ferro, Silvia Barbosa, Bruna Bueno Milanesi, Gabriele Zenato Lazzari, Laura Tartari Neves, Lisiê Valéria Paz, Paula Fernanda Ribas Neves, Vanessa Battisti, Lucas A. Martins, Gunther Gehlen, Régis Gemerasca Mestriner, Jaderson C. Da Costa, Léder L. XavierAbstractNormal ageing results in brain selective neuronal and glial losses. In the present study we analyze neuronal and glial changes in Wistar rats at two different ages, 45 days (young) and 420 days (mature adult), using Nissl staining and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunohistochemistry associated to the Sholl analysis. Comparing mature adults with young rats we noted the former present a decrease in neuronal density in the cerebral cortex, corpus callosum, pyriform cortex, L.D.D.M., L.D.V.L., central medial thalamic nucleus and zona incerta. A decrease in glial density was found in the dorsomedial and ventromedial hypothalamic nuclei. Additionally, the neuron/glia ratio was reduced in the central medial thalamic nucleus and increased in the habenula. No changes were found in the neuronal and glial densities or neuron/glia ratio in the other studied regions. The number of astrocytic primary processes and the number of intersections counted in the Sholl analysis presented no significant difference in any of the studied regions. Overall, neither GFAP positive astrocytic de...

Source: Mechanisms of Ageing and Development - August 11, 2019 Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research