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Updated: Jul 9, 2026

Preparation of Acute Hippocampal Slices from Rats and Transgenic Mice for the Study of Synaptic Alterations during Aging and Amyloid Pathology
Published on: March 23, 2011
Age-related changes in ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 immunoreactivity and protein level in the gerbil
Jung Hoon Choi1, Choong Hyun Lee, In Koo Hwang
1Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Veterinary Medicine and BK21 Program for Veterinary Science, Seoul National University, seoul 151-742, South Korea.
Abstract:
Microglia are evenly distributed throughout the brain parenchyma. They respond rapidly to a variety of alterations in the microenvironment of the brain and act as sensors for pathological events in the brain. In the present study, we investigated the age-dependent changes in the immunoreactivity and protein level of ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 (Iba-1), a microglial marker, in the CA1 region of the gerbil hippocampus. Iba-1 immunoreactive microglia were detected in the hippocampal CA1 region of the postnatal month 1 (PM 1) group. Iba-1 positive microglia were morphologically inactive between the PM 1 and PM 12 stages. Some Iba-1 immunoreactive microglia were present in the active form in the hippocampal CA1 region of the PM 18 and PM 24 groups. The Iba-1 protein levels in hippocampal CA1 homogenates were decreased in the PM 1 through PM 6 groups and increased in an age-dependent manner thereafter. These results suggest that Iba-1 immunoreactive microglia in the active form were detected in the hippocampal CA1 region in the PM 18 and PM 24 groups. This result may be associated with an age-dependent susceptibility to neurodegenerative diseases associated with the hippocampus.

