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Verapamil prevents, in a dose-dependent way, the loss of ChAT-immunoreactive neurons in the cerebral cortex following lesions of the rat nucleus basalis magnocellularis

Popovic, M ; Caballero-Bleda, M ; Popovic, Natalija LU ; Puelles, L ; van Groen, T and Witter, MP (2006) In Experimental Brain Research 170(3). p.368-375
Abstract
In the present study we analysed the neuroprotective effect of the L-type voltage-dependent calcium channel antagonist verapamil on cholineacetyltransferase (ChAT)-immunoreactive neurons in the cerebral cortex of rats with bilateral electrolytic lesions of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (NBM). Treatment with verapamil (1.0, 2.5, 5.0 and 10.0 mg/kg/12 h i.p.) started 24 h after NBM lesions and lasted 8 days. Animals were sacrificed on day 21 after NBM-lesions. The bilateral NBM-lesions produced significant loss of ChAT-immunoreactive neurons in frontal, parietal and temporal cortex. Although the number of ChAT-positive neurons was significantly higher in NBM-lesioned animals treated with verapamil at a dose of 2.5, 5.0 and 10.0 mg/kg... (More)
In the present study we analysed the neuroprotective effect of the L-type voltage-dependent calcium channel antagonist verapamil on cholineacetyltransferase (ChAT)-immunoreactive neurons in the cerebral cortex of rats with bilateral electrolytic lesions of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (NBM). Treatment with verapamil (1.0, 2.5, 5.0 and 10.0 mg/kg/12 h i.p.) started 24 h after NBM lesions and lasted 8 days. Animals were sacrificed on day 21 after NBM-lesions. The bilateral NBM-lesions produced significant loss of ChAT-immunoreactive neurons in frontal, parietal and temporal cortex. Although the number of ChAT-positive neurons was significantly higher in NBM-lesioned animals treated with verapamil at a dose of 2.5, 5.0 and 10.0 mg/kg than in saline treated ones, the most significant effect was obtained at a dose of 5 mg/kg. This is, to our knowledge, the first report showing an inverted U-shape mode of neuroprotective action of the calcium antagonist verapamil, at morphological level in this particular model of brain damage. The demonstrated beneficial effect of verapamil treatment suggests that the regulation of calcium homeostasis during the early period after NBM lesions might be a possible treatment to prevent neurodegenerative processes in the rat cerebral cortex. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
cholinergic neurons, calcium antagonist, cerebral cortex, basal forebrain, brain injury, neuroprotection
in
Experimental Brain Research
volume
170
issue
3
pages
368 - 375
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • wos:000236501600009
  • scopus:33645450449
ISSN
0014-4819
DOI
10.1007/s00221-005-0219-3
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
23d820a6-1555-47a4-8fb5-59d9518f326d (old id 414870)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:25:12
date last changed
2022-01-27 03:27:31
@article{23d820a6-1555-47a4-8fb5-59d9518f326d,
  abstract     = {{In the present study we analysed the neuroprotective effect of the L-type voltage-dependent calcium channel antagonist verapamil on cholineacetyltransferase (ChAT)-immunoreactive neurons in the cerebral cortex of rats with bilateral electrolytic lesions of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (NBM). Treatment with verapamil (1.0, 2.5, 5.0 and 10.0 mg/kg/12 h i.p.) started 24 h after NBM lesions and lasted 8 days. Animals were sacrificed on day 21 after NBM-lesions. The bilateral NBM-lesions produced significant loss of ChAT-immunoreactive neurons in frontal, parietal and temporal cortex. Although the number of ChAT-positive neurons was significantly higher in NBM-lesioned animals treated with verapamil at a dose of 2.5, 5.0 and 10.0 mg/kg than in saline treated ones, the most significant effect was obtained at a dose of 5 mg/kg. This is, to our knowledge, the first report showing an inverted U-shape mode of neuroprotective action of the calcium antagonist verapamil, at morphological level in this particular model of brain damage. The demonstrated beneficial effect of verapamil treatment suggests that the regulation of calcium homeostasis during the early period after NBM lesions might be a possible treatment to prevent neurodegenerative processes in the rat cerebral cortex.}},
  author       = {{Popovic, M and Caballero-Bleda, M and Popovic, Natalija and Puelles, L and van Groen, T and Witter, MP}},
  issn         = {{0014-4819}},
  keywords     = {{cholinergic neurons; calcium antagonist; cerebral cortex; basal forebrain; brain injury; neuroprotection}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{368--375}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Experimental Brain Research}},
  title        = {{Verapamil prevents, in a dose-dependent way, the loss of ChAT-immunoreactive neurons in the cerebral cortex following lesions of the rat nucleus basalis magnocellularis}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00221-005-0219-3}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s00221-005-0219-3}},
  volume       = {{170}},
  year         = {{2006}},
}