HISTOMORPHOMETRIC STUDIES IN RAT CEREBRAL-CORTEX - NORMAL AGING AND CELL LOSS

One characteristic feature of the aged central nervous system (CNS) is neuron loss. Programmed cell death (PCD) has been implicated in neuro nal death during development and may be involved in a number of age-re lated neurodegenerative diseases of the CNS. Cell death in the aging c erebral cortex was investigated in the present morphometric and immuno histochemical study of rat frontal cortex by detection of bcl-2 as the factor preventing PCD. The results were interpreted in the light of t he bioenergetic features of aged motoneuron cells. Our results showed that 1) bcl-2 does not influence neuronal survival, and ii) the presen ce in aging frontal cortex of minor cellular morphometric and bioenerg etic modifications, confirming the difference between normal aging and neurodegenerative disease.