35th Annual Student Research Conference
Comparison of vGLUT2 expression in Control and Alzheimer’s Disease-induced rats
Charan Dyavanapalli
Dr. Daniela Ostrowski and Dr. Tim Ostrowski (ATSU), Faculty Mentors
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent form of dementia, affecting memory, cognition, and behavior in humans. Other symptoms, such as respiratory dysfunction, are prevalent in AD, but receive less attention. Intracerebroventricular injections of streptozotocin (STZ) mimics AD-like phenotypes in rats. We have previously shown that STZ also affects the morphology and function of cells in the nucleus tractus solitarius (nTS), an important integration center for respiratory control. Glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter and used by nTS neurons. Any alterations in glutamate handling within the nTS may be part of the underlying mechanisms for respiratory dysfunction in AD. We used immunohistochemical staining of vGLUT2, a glutamate transporter that packs glutamate into pre-synaptic vesicles, to quantify the available amount of glutamate in the nTS of the STZ-AD model.
Keywords: Glutamate, Alzheimer's Disease, nucleus tractus solitarius, Immunohistochemistry, Streptozotocin
Topic(s):Biology
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Presentation Type: Poster Presentation
Session: 2-13
Location: SUB Activities Room
Time: 3:00