Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry

This study was aimed to clarify the change of NADPH-diaphorase(NADPH-d) and neuropeptide Y(NPY) assoicated with aging of the rats. To verify the effect of aging of NPY and NADPH-d-positive neurons in the brain stem, the neurons were stained by the immunohistochemical and histochemical method. In the aged group, the number of NADPH-d-positive neurons was significantly decreased in substantia nigra lateralis, supragenual nucleus, raphe magnus nucleus and raphe obscurus nucleus as compared with control group. The number of NADPH-d-positive neurons was not significantly decreased in superior colliculus, interpeduncular nucleus, central gray, dorsal raphe nucleus, retrorubral nucleus, pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus, laterodorsal tegmental nucleus, pontine reticular nucleus, prepositus hypoglossal nucleus and nucleus solitarius of the aged rats. The NADPH-d and NPY-positive neurons were found in the interpeduncular nucleus, central gray, substantia nigra lateralis, laterodorsal tegmental nucleus, nucleus solitarius, raphe magnus nucleus, raphe obscurus nucleus of the control and aged groups. The coexistence of NADPH-d and NPY in the same cell was not found in the brain stem of both groups.

Keywords Aging;NADPH-d-positive neurons;MPY;NADPH-d staining;Number of neurons.