EFFECT OF BASIC FIBROBLAST GROWTH FACTOR ON BEHAVIOR ABILITY AND NEURONS OF THE HIPPOCAMPAL CA3 AREA IN ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE MODEL RATS

Abstract

The study aimed to examine the behavior ability and morphological changes in neuron in the hippocampal CA3 area of Alzheimer's disease (AD) model rats induced by β-amyloid protein (Aβ1–42) and observe the potentiality of the neuroprotective effect of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on the AD model rats. A total of 70 Wistar rats were randomly divided into the normal control group, the AD model group and the bFGF treatment group. The AD model rats were established by microinjection of Aβ1–42 solution into right hippocampal CA1 area. The bFGF was injected into the abdominal cavity of rats in the bFGF treatment group, and identical volume physiological saline was given for the other two groups. The colorimetric method was used to detect the choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and acetylcholinesterase (AchE) activity after the behavior capability was determined. Real time-PCR (RT-PCR) was used to evaluate the expression of VEGF mRNA of the rat hippocampal CA3 area. Caspase-3 immunopositive cells in the hippocampal CA3 area were observed under a light microscopy and quantitative analysis were performed by cell morphometric technique. The ultra-microstructure of the neurons was also observed by a transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results indicated that compared with the AD model group, the learning and memory abilities of the bFGF treatment group were obviously improved and the ChAT activity significantly increased (p < 0.05), whereas the AChE activity, expression of VEGF mRNA and quantity of Caspase-3 immunopositive cells notably decreased (p < 0.05). Under TEM, the neurons in the hippocampal CA3 area of the normal control group had moderate electron density, rule nucleus, integrity perinuclear membrane, evenly distributed chromoplasm and abundant cell organelle, however the neurons of the AD model group showed severely damaged, exhibiting cell body pyknosis, irregular nuclear membranes concentrated, intracytoplasm content concentrated, decreased or unclear organelles. The neuronic pathological lesion of the bFGF treatment group had lessened than that of the AD model group; some of them had distinct neuronal structure and abundant cell organelle. BFGF could efficiently improve the behavior ability and decrease the pathological lesion of hippocampus of the AD model rats, which might promote the neuroprotective effect in the AD.