Strain-dependent variations in the number of forebrain cholinergic neurons

doi:10.1016/0006-8993(85)90237-9

Brain Research

Volume 334, Issue 2, 20 May 1985, Pages 380-384

https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-8993(85)90237-9 Get rights and content

Abstract

The morphological organization of putatively cholinergic neurons was studied in the forebrain of two inbred mouse strains (C57BL/6 and DBA/2) by means of acetylcholinesterase pharmacohistochemistry. In both strains, putatively cholinergic perikarya were seen in the caudato-putamen, medial septum, diagonal band, and basal nucleus of Meynert: in all these regions, their distribution was similar in both strains, but their density was significantly higher (from 20 to 32%) in DBA/2 mice. The present data demonstrate the existence of genetically determined differences in the organization of forebrain cholinergic systems.

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The authors do not indicate from where the animals were obtained. Interestingly, a higher density of cholinergic neurons and increased acetylcholine turnover were observed in DBA/2 compared to C57BL/6 brains (Albanese et al., 1985; Bentivoglio et al., 1994; Durkin et al., 1977). Altogether, the available evidence suggests that C57BL/6 mice tend to have lower brain AChE activity levels compared to DBA mice, but as mentioned above, different assays were used to determine the activities across studies, therefore it is difficult to make generalizations about other mouse strains since the available data are limited.
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The C57BL/6N substrain has been reported to exhibit a very different profile of amnesia induced by administration of scopolamine, a muscarinic antagonist, compared to C57BL/6J (Karthivashan et al., 2017), suggesting that cholinergic control may also be different in these substrains (see also Ammassarri-Teule and Caprioli, 1985). This finding is in line with reports that mouse strains exhibit differences in the number of forebrain cholinergic neurons (Albanese et al., 1985). Mouse strains also exhibit different stress vulnerabilities (see Section 1.3).
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These so-called “cholinergic centers” play, for instance, an important role for learning and memory processes (Dutar et al., 1995; Heimer et al., 1997; Berger-Sweeney, 2003; Mufson et al., 2003). Neurochemical characterization of neurons in rodents reveals remarkable differences not only between rats and mice but also between strains of the same species (e.g., Tunnicliff et al., 1973; Albanese et al., 1985; Naumann et al., 2002, 2003). We therefore investigated two different mouse lines widely used as laboratory animals: CD1 and BL6 mice.
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The cholinergic BF system of the rat is by far the best studied (Schwaber et al., 1982; Houser et al., 1983; Semba and Fibiger, 1989; Semba, 2000); Fig. 2C, D). The cholinergic BF neurons have also been mapped in other rodents: the guinea pig (Maley et al., 1988) and mice of the CD-1 (Mufson and Cunningham, 1988; Kitt et al., 1994), BALB/c ByJ (Kitt et al., 1994), C57BL/6 and DBA/2 strains (Albanese et al., 1985). The cholinergic BF system is fairly similar among these rodents, and is generally less complex than in carnivores.
This chapter discusses the phylogenetic and ontogenetic aspects of the basal forebrain (BF) cholinergic neurons. The BF cholinergic system, consisting of a cluster of cholinergic neurons in the ventral telencephalon and their projections to the cortex or pallium, is present in tetrapods (mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians) and bony fishes. In contrast, the cholinergic BF system appears to be absent in selected orders of fishes that were derived earlier from the common ancestral lineage of vertebrates. These include chondrosteans as represented by sturgeon, elasmobranchs as represented by dogfish, and cyclostomes as represented by lampreys. Despite this conservation, variation exists among terrestrial vertebrates. First, the size and complexity of the cholinergic BF system exhibit a phylogenetic graduation, in parallel with general evolution of the brain. Specifically, the number of cholinergic BF neurons appears to be relatively small in fishes, whereas it is the highest in humans, and possibly in cetaceans. Similarly, the area of innervation, that is, the cortex, increases in size, and also in complexity as reflected by the formation of multiple layers. Both phylogenetic and ontogenetic approaches have been used in the past to understand the formation and organization of the brain. The phylogenetic approach aims at understanding how the brains of living animals evolved through interaction of both genetic and environmental factors during phylogeny. The ontogenetic approach uncovers cellular and molecular processes that underlie the formation of the brain.
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Strain-dependent variations in the number of forebrain cholinergic neurons

Abstract

Brain Research

Brain Res. Bull.

Trends Neurosci.

Brain Research

Brain Res. Rev.

Brain Research

Neurosci. Biobehav. Rev.

Brain Research

Neurosci. Lett.

Life Sci.

Brain Res. Bull.

Brain Research

Genetically determined differences in the basal ganglia of mice: a histochemical study