Chronic systemic injection of D-galactose impairs the septohippocampal cholinergic system in rats.

Abstract

Accumulated evidence indicates chronic systemic injection of D-galactose mimics aging progress induced by oxidative stress. We addressed whether memory impairment in this model was associated with the cholinergic septohippocampal degeneration. Rats injected with D-galactose for 6 weeks showed impairment of spatial learning and memory as measured by the water maze test. Correspondingly, anti-choline acetyltransferase immunohistochemistry demonstrated a severe loss of cholinergic terminals in the hippocampus accompanied by a mild cholinergic neuronal atrophy and loss in the medial septum and the nucleus of the vertical limb of the diagonal band of Broca. A major synaptic degeneration in the hippocampus was confirmed by ultrastructural analysis. These findings provide neuropathological evidence for rodents with chronic injection of D-galactose as a promising model for brain aging and age-related neurodegeneration.

• Authors: Ming Lei, Yang Su, Xiangdong Hua, Jiong Ding, Qunying Han, Gang Hu, Ming Xiao
• Journal: Neuroreport (Neuroreport) Vol. 19 Issue 16 Pg. 1611-5 (Oct 29 2008) ISSN: 1473-558X [Electronic] England
• PMID: 18845941 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Choline O-Acetyltransferase
• Galactose

Topics

• Aging (physiology)
• Animals
• Behavior, Animal (drug effects, physiology)
• Choline O-Acetyltransferase (genetics, metabolism)
• Galactose (administration & dosage, toxicity)
• Hippocampus (drug effects, metabolism, pathology)
• Immunohistochemistry
• Injections, Subcutaneous
• Male
• Maze Learning (drug effects, physiology)
• Memory (drug effects, physiology)
• Microscopy, Electron
• Nerve Degeneration (chemically induced, physiopathology)
• Neurons (drug effects, metabolism, pathology)
• Rats
• Rats, Sprague-Dawley
• Septal Nuclei (drug effects, metabolism, pathology)
• Spatial Behavior (drug effects, physiology)
• Synapses (drug effects, physiology, ultrastructure)