Cytophotometric Analysis of Neuronal Chromatin and RNA Changes in Oxotremorine-Treated Rats

Abstract

Neuronal nucleic acid responses were examined within the rat striatum and sensorimotor cortex (layer V) following single intraperitoneal injections of the central cholinergicmuscarinic agonist oxotremorine (0.1, 0.7, or 1.0 mg/kg). After stoichiometric Feulgen and azure B staining of brain sections, scanning-integrating microdensitometry was used to quantify Feulgendeoxyribonucleic acid levels, changes in the susceptibility of chromatin to Feulgen acid hydrolysis (F-DNA yield) and azure B-ribonucleic acid (RNA) content of neurons on an individual basis. Changes in neuronal nuclear and nucleolar volumes were also determined histometrically. Within the striatum and sensorimotor cortex, oxotremorine produced marked dose-dependent elevations in both F-DNA yield and RNA content. These metabolic increases were typically paralleled by elevations in nuclear and nucleolar volumes. The data demonstrate that the oxotremorine-induced central muscarinic activation is associated with dose-related enhancements in neuronal chromatin template activity, RNA content, and protein synthetic capacity.

Fractional anisotropy from diffusion tensor imaging correlates with acute astrocyte and myelin swelling in neonatal swine models of excitotoxic and hypoxic‐ischemic brain injury

“…Piglet striatal neurons are normally not positive for GLT‐1, but HI causes them to express GLT‐1 with excitotoxic death (Martin, Brambrink, Lehmann, et al, 1997). We also estimated astrocyte cell body swelling using volume = π /6 ( ab 2 ), where a is the cell body's major axis diameter and b is the minor axis diameter (Martin, Doebler, & Anthony, 1986).…”

Mechanisms of Neuronal Apoptosis In Vivo

“…H&E sections were also used for measurements of principal striatal neuron cell body volume and nuclear volume using ocular filar micrometry at lOOOx. Neuronal cell body and nuclear volumes were calculated from V = Tr/6{ab 2 ), where a = diameter of the major axis and b = the diameter of the minor axis (Martin et al, 1986). In TUNEL preparations, the density of dying cells was determined by parcellating the putamen into six divisions and counting the number of TUNEL-positive nuclei in six microscopic fields at lOOOx.…”