Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
2
pubmed:dateCreated
2001-10-23
pubmed:abstractText
This study addresses the issue of whether cholinergic varicosities in the cerebral cortex establish 'classical synapses' or whether they communicate with their targets non-synaptically by 'volume transmission'. Most recent studies in the neocortex have suggested that acetylcholine acts non-synaptically, however in the present study we provide ultrastructural evidence that suggests synaptic mechanisms prevail. This conclusion is based upon our ultrastructural observations that cholinergic boutons--as revealed by immunoreactivity for the specific cholinergic market, vesicular acetylcholine transporter--establish a high percentage of classical synapses in layer V of the rat parietal cortex. Furthermore, the combination of this approach with the intracellular labeling of large pyramidal neurons on slice preparations revealed significant incidences of cholinergic contacts abutting preferentially on dendritic shafts. Finally, we have gathered information suggesting that cholinergic boutons undergo atrophy with aging which could be related to the well-known cholinergic and cognitive decline. These results illustrate that the cholinergic terminations in the neocortex establish proper synaptic connections and that they experience important age-dependent atrophy.
pubmed:grant
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:issn
0306-4522
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
105
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
277-85
pubmed:dateRevised
2009-11-3
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed-meshheading:11672595-Acetylcholine, pubmed-meshheading:11672595-Aging, pubmed-meshheading:11672595-Animals, pubmed-meshheading:11672595-Atrophy, pubmed-meshheading:11672595-Carrier Proteins, pubmed-meshheading:11672595-Cerebral Cortex, pubmed-meshheading:11672595-Cholinergic Fibers, pubmed-meshheading:11672595-Dendrites, pubmed-meshheading:11672595-Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, pubmed-meshheading:11672595-Immunohistochemistry, pubmed-meshheading:11672595-Male, pubmed-meshheading:11672595-Membrane Transport Proteins, pubmed-meshheading:11672595-Microscopy, Electron, pubmed-meshheading:11672595-Patch-Clamp Techniques, pubmed-meshheading:11672595-Presynaptic Terminals, pubmed-meshheading:11672595-Pyramidal Cells, pubmed-meshheading:11672595-Rats, pubmed-meshheading:11672595-Rats, Inbred F344, pubmed-meshheading:11672595-Vesicular Acetylcholine Transport Proteins, pubmed-meshheading:11672595-Vesicular Transport Proteins
pubmed:year
2001
pubmed:articleTitle
Cholinergic nerve terminals establish classical synapses in the rat cerebral cortex: synaptic pattern and age-related atrophy.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S., Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't