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Updated: Jul 13, 2026
Stereological Estimation of Cholinergic Fiber Length in the Nucleus Basalis of Meynert of the Mouse Brain
Published on: February 5, 2020
Cholinergic forebrain degeneration in the APPswe/PS1DeltaE9 transgenic mouse
Sylvia E Perez1, Saleem Dar, Milos D Ikonomovic
1Department of Neurological Sciences, Alla V. and Solomon Jesmer Chair in Aging, Rush University Medical Center, 1735 W. Harrison Street, Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
Abstract:
The impact of Abeta deposition upon cholinergic intrinsic cortical and striatal, as well as basal forebrain long projection neuronal systems was qualitatively and quantitatively evaluated in young (2-6 months) and middle-aged (10-16 months) APPswe/PS1DeltaE9 transgenic (tg) mice. Cholinergic neuritic swellings occurred as early as 2-3 months of age in the cortex and hippocampus and 5-6 months in the striatum of tg mice. However, cholinergic neuron number or choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) optical density measurements remained unchanged in the forebrain structures with age in APPswe/PS1DeltaE9 tg mice. ChAT enzyme activity decreased significantly in the cortex and hippocampus of middle-aged tg mice. These results suggest that Abeta deposition has age-dependent effects on cortical and hippocampal ChAT fiber networks and enzyme activity, but does not impact the survival of cholinergic intrinsic or long projection forebrain neurons in APPswe/PS1DeltaE9 tg mice.
