Cognitive decline is associated with reduced reelin expression in the entorhinal cortex of aged rats.

ABSTRACT: Brain regions and neural circuits differ in their vulnerability to changes that occur during aging and in age-related neurodegenerative diseases. Among the areas that comprise the medial temporal lobe memory system, the layer II neurons of the entorhinal cortex, which form the perforant path input to the hippocampal formation, exhibit early alterations over the course of aging Reelin, a glycoprotein implicated in synaptic plasticity, is expressed by entorhinal cortical layer II neurons. Here, we report that an age-related reduction in reelin expression in the entorhinal cortex is associated with cognitive decline. Using immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization, we observed decreases in the number of Reelin-immunoreactive cells and reelin messenger RNA expression in the lateral entorh

SUBMITTER: Stranahan AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3020582 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature