Experimental neurology
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Experimental neurology · Dec 1994
Calbindin-D28k immunoreactivity within the cholinergic and GABAergic projection neurons of the basal forebrain.
The purpose of this study was to determine whether the calcium binding protein calbindin-D28k was present within the cortically projecting basal forebrain neurons of various rodent species not previously examined. Double-label immunocytochemistry was performed using antibodies against calbindin-D28k and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) to detect the presence of the calcium binding protein within the cholinergic basal forebrain neurons of various species (i.e., humans, rats, mice, gerbils, guinea pigs). Antibodies against calbindin-D28k, ChAT, and glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) were also used in combination with a cortically injected retrograde tracer (Fluoro-Gold) to determine whether calbindin-D28k immunoreactive (IR) neurons within the basal forebrain projected to the frontoparietal cortex. ⋯ Although all rodent species had both cholinergic and GABAergic basal forebrain neurons that contained the Fluoro-Gold dye, none of the calbindin-D28k IR neurons, detected using monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies, were found to contain the retrograde tracer. These results indicate that the cortically projecting cholinergic and GABAergic basal forebrain neurons within these rodent species do not contain calbindin-D28k. Therefore, age- and disease-related loss of nucleus basalis projection neurons may not be mediated by alterations in calbindin-D28k.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)