AFFERENT REGULATION OF CHOLINERGIC FOREBRAIN NEURONS

长期目标将是获得一个系统和详细的 了解前脑的组织和传入调节 大鼠的胆碱能投射神经元，特别是在诸如 斜带和透镜状下的垂直和水平翼 无名质 为了实现这一目标，我们将确定 胆碱能传入神经的来源和化学特性 投射神经元使用一系列组合的免疫细胞化学和示踪剂 在光学和电子显微镜水平的技术。 具体 将尝试研究精细的突触接合模式， 胆碱能投射神经元不同部位的这些传入神经 使用最近引进的切片高尔基技术。 我们还建议用生物化学的方法研究去除 单胺能传入对胆碱乙酰转移酶活性的影响 胆碱能投射神经元 作为这些实验的一部分，我们将 确定胆碱能投射神经元的年龄相关易感性 传入剥夺 定量光电镜 对局部和外部突触的研究也将继续进行， 描述胆碱能投射神经元的突触输入， 定量术语（突触/细胞比率、细胞和突触密度）。 这项研究将提供关于联合国人权事务高级专员办事处的组织情况的重要资料。 胆碱能投射系统，并将测试的假设，功能障碍 或特定传入神经的丧失可能导致 基底前脑胆碱能神经元。 这些神经元的完整性 显然是正常认知功能和萎缩所必需的， 基底前脑胆碱能神经元的变性是可靠的， 老年痴呆症

The long-term goal will be to obtain a systematic and detailed understanding of the organization and afferent regulation of forebrain cholinergic projection neurons of the rat, especially in areas such as the vertical and horizontal limb of the diagonal band and the sublenticular substantia innominata. In order to achieve this goal, we will identify the sources and chemical characteristics of the afferents the cholinergic projection neurons using a series of combined immunocytochemical and tracer techniques at both the light and electron microscope level. Specific attempts will be made to study the fine synaptic articulation pattern of these afferents on different parts of the cholinergic projection neuron using the recently introduced section-Golgi technique. We also propose to examine biochemically the effect of removal of monoaminergic afferents on the activity of choline acetyltransferase in cholinergic projection neurons. As part of these experiments, we will determine the age-related susceptibility of cholinergic projection neurons to afferent deprivation. Quantitative light and electron microscopic studies of local and extrinsic synapses will also proceed in order to characterize the synaptic input to the cholinergic projection neurons in quantitative terms (synapse/cell ration, cell and synaptic densities). This study will provide important information about the organization of the cholinergic projection system and will test the hypothesis that dysfunction or loss of specific afferents might result in atrophy or degeneration of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons. The integrity of these neurons is apparently necessary for normal cognitive function and atrophy or degeneration of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons is reliably observed in Alzheimer's disease.