Influence of tooth-loss and concomitant masticatory alterations on cholinergic neurons in rats: immunohistochemical and biochemical studies

• Published in: Neuroscience research 2002-08, Vol.43 (4), p.373-379
• Main Authors: Terasawa, H, Hirai, T, Ninomiya, T, Ikeda, Y, Ishijima, T, Yajima, T, Hamaue, N, Nagase, Y, Kang, Y, Minami, M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acetylcholine; Acetylcholine - metabolism; Animals; Brain - metabolism; Brain - pathology; Choline - metabolism; Choline O-Acetyltransferase - metabolism; Cholinergic neurons; Diagonal Band of Broca - metabolism; Diagonal Band of Broca - pathology; Hippocampus - metabolism; Hippocampus - pathology; Immunohistochemistry; Male; Mastication; Mastication - physiology; Neurons - metabolism; Neurons - pathology; Nucleus of the diagonal band; Pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Septal Nuclei - metabolism; Septal Nuclei - pathology; Tooth Loss - metabolism; Tooth Loss - pathology; Tooth Loss - physiopathology
• ISSN: 0168-0102; 1872-8111
• DOI: 10.1016/S0168-0102(02)00063-9

The influence of tooth loss on the viability of cholinergic neurons was examined in rats. At 25th postnatal week, rats were divided into the three groups; a control group fed a solid diet, a soft diet group fed a powder diet and a molar crown-less group in which all molar crowns were removed and the powder diet was given. At 15 and 35 weeks post-treatment, the number of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)-positive neurons in the nucleus of the diagonal band/medial septal nucleus (NDB/MS) was significantly smaller in the molar crown-less group than in the control group ( P