Neuronal subpopulations of developing rat hippocampus containing differentcalcium-binding proteins behave distinctively in trimethyltin-induced neurodegeneration

The present study investigates, by immunocytochemistry, the behavior of dif ferent neuronal subpopulations of the developing rat hippocampus, selective ly labeled by the calcium-binding proteins calbindin D28-k (CB), parvalbumi n (PV), and calretinin (CR), in neurodegenerative processes induced by the neurotoxicant trimethyltin (TMT). Previous studies on adult rats indicated that CB-immunoreactive (IR) neurons were affected by TMT, while PV- and CR- IR neurons were selectively spared. The present findings show that only CR- IR neurons are spared in developing rats, and in addition the number of CR- IR neurons are significantly higher in the DG of treated animals. On the co ntrary, PV-IR neurons, spared in adult rats, were affected by TMT during de velopment. CB-IR neurons were affected also in developing rats, as in adult s. The different postnatal time-courses of calcium-binding protein expressi on in relationship to the time of TMT administration (presence of CR but ab sence of PV) could have a role in the different behavior of CR- and PV-IR c ells in developing rats. (C) 1998 Academic Press.