MINORITY PREDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

描述（由申请人提供）：本研究将利用正常衰老的非人类灵长类动物模型，探讨成年细胞发生在灵长类动物大脑海马和周围区域的作用。溴脱氧尿苷（BrdU，一种细胞增殖的标记物）将被注射到年轻和年老的恒河猴（猕猴）体内。在注射BrdU后，将给一组猴子一个行为任务来诱导神经发生。使用免疫组织化学、立体学和共聚焦显微镜对脑组织进行死后分析，将识别新产生的神经元、星形胶质细胞和少突胶质细胞。本研究将分析两组实验数据。1)在基础条件下新生细胞的分化将在幼龄和老年动物中进行检验。初步结果表明，成体细胞发生随年龄变化；我们将探讨这些变化的细节。2)学习已被证明能增加海马区的成人神经发生。这种可塑性将在接受brdu后行为测试的幼龄和老年动物中进行比较。已经证实认知能力随着年龄的增长而下降。这项拟议的研究将确定成人细胞发生的变化是否在与年龄相关的认知能力下降的神经生物学基础中很重要。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Using a non-human primate model of normal aging, this investigation will explore the role of adult cell genesis in the hippocampus and surrounding areas of the primate brain. Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU, a marker of cell proliferation) will be injected into both young and old rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta). After injection of BrdU, a subset of monkeys will be given a behavioral task to induce neurogenesis. Post-mortem analysis of brain tissue using immunohistochemistry, stereology, and confocal microscopy, will identify newly created neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. This study will analyze two sets of experimental data. 1) Differentiation of newly created cells under basal conditions will be examined in young and old animals. Preliminary results suggest that there are changes in adult cell genesis with age; the details of these changes will be explored. 2) Learning has been shown to increase adult neurogenesis in the hippocampus. This plasticity will be compared in young and old animals that received post-BrdU behavioral testing. It has been established that cognitive decline occurs with age. This proposed investigation will determine if there are changes in adult cell genesis that could be important in the neurobiological basis of age-related cognitive decline.