ABSTRACT-To evaluate whether any degenerative changes affect the brain cholinergic systems during natural aging, we compared various cholinergic biochemical markers (number of muscarinic receptors, mAChR; choline acetyltransferase activity, ChAT; acetylcholinesterase activity, AChE; and sodium-de pendent high affinity choline uptake) in the cortical (CR) and subcortical (SS) regions of the brains of aged (24 month) and young (2 month) rats. Using [3H]-quinuclidinyl benzilate ([3H]-QNB) as the ligand of muscarinic receptor binding, the numbers of mAChR decreased about 30% in both the CR and the SS of aged rats compared with those in young rats, while a significant age-related increase in the affinity of mAChR was observed.[3H]-QNB binding in both the young and aged rat brain was displaced markedly by pirenzepine, while [3H]-QNB binding in the SS of the aged rat brain was displaced at low concentrations of atropine. The Vma, values of ChAT and AChE also decreased about 20-30076 compared with those of young rats. The sodium-dependent high affinity choline uptake was lower in the crude synaptosomal fraction prepared from aged rat brain than in young brain. Hemicholinium-3 inhibited the choline uptake in young rat brain at a concentration range of 1 pM 10 nM, but choline uptake in aged brain was insensitive to hemicholinium-3. These results indicate that natural aging brings about a diffuse and multiple depletion of various biochemical markers in cholinergic neurons.

revious studies have shown that an elevated white blood cell or neutrophil count on admission is associated with a higher risk of adverse outcomes and impaired left ventricular (LV) function in acute myocardial infarction (AMI). [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] However, the significance of the neutrophil count after reperfusion therapy has not yet been investigated. In this study, we sought to clarify this significance in a first anterior wall AMI (≤6 h). Methods PatientsWe examined 122 consecutive patients (102 men, 20 women, mean age 61±11 years) with a first anterior wall AMI who were admitted within 6 h of the onset of symptoms and who met the following criteria: (1) typical chest pain lasting ≥30 min; (2) ST-segment elevation ≥0.2 mV in ≥2 adjacent precordial leads on the admission electrocardiogram; (3) an increase in the serum creatine kinase (CK) concentration more than twice the normal value; (4) no other heart or lung disease; and (5) no confounding factors such as infectious disease, collagen disease, steroid use, malignancy, and surgery within 1 month of the onset of symptoms. Informed consent for revascularization therapy and follow-up catheterization was obtained from all patients. Emergency Coronary Arteriography and Reperfusion TherapyEmergency coronary arteriography was performed using the Judkins or Amplatz technique. Multiple projections were recorded to ensure optimal visualization of the coronary vessels. The coronary flow in the infarct-related artery was graded according to the classification used in the Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction Trial (TIMI) trial. 14 Proximal left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) occlusion was defined as an occlusion of the artery proximal to its first septal branch. The grade of collateral filling in the LAD was determined according to the criteria of Rentrop et al. 15 A collateral circulation with a grade of 2 or 3 was defined as "good". After angiographic confirmation of total or subtotal occlusion of the LAD, primary coronary angioplasty was performed. If an optimal result (a residual stenosis <50% without severe dissection) could not be obtained by balloon coronary angioplasty, coronary stenting was performed (n=57). Successful reperfusion was defined as the establishment of TIMI grade 3 flow in the infarct-related artery on the final coronary arteriogram. Coronary Arteriography and Left Ventriculography at PredischargeCoronary arteriography and left ventriculography were again performed at predischarge. Left ventriculograms per- Background Previous studies have demonstrated that an elevated neutrophil count on admission is associated with a higher risk of adverse events after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, the significance of the neutrophil count after reperfusion therapy has not been elucidated. Methods and ResultsThe association of the neutrophil count on admission and days 2 and 3 with peak creatine kinase (CK) concentration, ST-segment resolution (a marker of myocardial tissue-level reperfusion), and left ventricular...

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