Abstract
Conclusions: The age-related increase in the production of nitric oxide (NO) suggests that this increase was related to neuron aging. Additional studies may provide information regarding aging-related changes in the central auditory system. Objectives: Although NO has been associated with aging, it is unclear whether specific areas of the central auditory system are involved. We therefore assayed aging-related changes in NADPH-diaphorase (NADPH-d), a selective histochemical marker for NO, in the neurons of the central auditory system and other brain regions. Materials and methods: The numbers of NADPH-d-stained neurons and the area and staining density of cell bodies were examined in aged (24 months old) and younger (4 months old) Wistar rats. Results: The number of NADPH-d-positive neurons in the inferior colliculus was significantly increased in aged rats (p<0.05), whereas the area of NADPH-d-positive neurons in all areas did not differ significantly between aged and younger rats (p>0.05). The staining densities of NADPH-d-positive neurons in the inferior colliculus, the auditory cortex, and the visual cortex were significantly greater in aged compared with younger rats (p<0.05).
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 648-653 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Acta Oto-Laryngologica |
| Volume | 128 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2008 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This research was supported by the Kyung Hee University Research Fund in 2006 (KHU-2006-064).
Keywords
- Aging
- Auditory cortex
- Cochlear nucleus
- Inferior colliculus
- Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate