Changes in the Neurochemical Composition of Motor Neurons of the Spinal Cord in Mice under Conditions of Space Flight.

Expression of choline acetyltransferase, 200-kDa neurofilament protein, 28-kDa calbindin, neuronal NO synthase, caspase 3, and Ki-67 in the motor neurons of spinal cord segments T3-T5 in male C57Bl/6 mice after 30-day space flight in the Bion-M1 biosatellite was studied by immunohistochemical methods. Under conditions space flight, the size of motoneurons increased, the number of neurons containing choline acetyltransferase and neurofilaments, decreased, and the number of calbindin-positive neurons increased; motoneurons, expressing neuronal NO synthase and caspase 3 appeared, while Ki-67 was not detected. Fragmentation of neurons with the formation structures similar to apoptotic (residual) bodies was observed in individual caspase 3-positive motoneurons.

[CHANGES OF SPINAL MOTOR NEURONS IN MICE AFTER А SPACE FLIGHT].

The expression of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), neurofilament (NF) protein 200 kDa, calbindin (CAB) 28 kDa, neuronal NO-synthase (nNOS), caspase 3, Ki-67 was studied in motor neurons from TIII–TV segments of the spinal cord in C57/ BL6 male mice by immunohistochemical methods 12 h after a 30 days-long space flight on the Bion-M1 biosatellite. Mice living under standard vivarium conditions served as a control. The motoneurons of experimental animals demonstrated the reactive changes that were manifested by the increase of their size, decrease in the number of subpopulations expressing ChAT and NF, increase of subpopulations containing CAB, appearance of motor neurons expressing nNOS, caspase-3, and the absence of Ki-67.

[Subpopulation of calbindin-immunoreactive interneurons in the dorsal horn of the mice spinal cord].

In the dorsal horn of the spinal cord in the plates I-IV on the thoracic and lumbar levels different subpopulations of interneurons immunoreactive for calbindin 28 kDa (CAB IR), which are specific to each plate. In the area of the medial edge of the dorsal horn, we have found a special subpopulation of CAB IR interneurons whose morphometric characteristics differ from CAB IR interneurons subpopulations of said plates. The number of CAB IR interneurons was maximal in the plate II at all levels of the spinal cord.

[Calbindin-containing neurons of the ventral horn of murine spinal cord gray matter].

The study was performed in 4 C57black/6 mice to examine the neurons located in T(II), L(IV), L(V) and L(VI) segments of the spinal cord (SC) ventral horn, containing 28 kD calbindin (CAB) and 200 kD neurofilament (NF) proteins. To demonstrate immunoreactive neurons, the cells were labeled with antibodies against CAB and double labeled with antibodies against CAB and NF. The total cell population was demonstrated using NeuroTrace Red Fluorescent Nissl Stain.

[Age-related changes in sensory neurons containing calcitonin gene-related peptide under conditions of afferentation deficit in rats].

Morphological features of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-immunoreactive neurons were studied in the sensory ganglia of the vagus and thoracic nerves in 3-, 10-, 20-, 30-, 60-, 90-, and 120-day-old rats under conditions of chemically-induced deafferentation. We found that, in rats, CGRP-containing neurons appeared in both ganglia immediately after they were born and their number decreased with aging. Most of CGRP-immunoreactive neurons were small in size, i.