Skip to main content
Log in

Age-Related Structural Changes in Primary Visual Cortex Cells of Rats under High-Intensity Light Exposure

  • Published:
Advances in Gerontology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

An experiment using 20 white male Wistar rats has shown that exposure to 3500 lux of light for 7 days causes morphological changes in the II, IV, and V layers of the primary visual cortex. This was seen in an increased percentage of reversibly and irreversibly altered neurons, mainly in the fourth layer of 18-month-old rats (p ≤ 0.05). In response to light exposure, the percentage of hyperchromic wrinkled neurons in 18‑month-old rats rises to 6% (5; 8.5), the percentage of neurons with total chromatolysis rises to 10% (8.5; 14) compared to a 1% (0.5; 14) and 6% (5; 8) rise in 3-month-old rats respectively (p ≤ 0.05). The neural damage leads to a glial reaction reflected in an increased percentage of glia with signs of edema and swelling, hyperchromia without the nucleus and cytoplasm shrinkage (p ≤ 0.05), neuronophagia, and also the intrusion of the glia cells into the neuron cytoplasm for the initiation of intracellular reparation. The destructive changes are characterized by the gliacyte hyperchromia with the shrinkage of the nucleus and cytoplasm. The percentage of these gliacytes increases significantly in 18-month-old rats under the light exposure compared to the indices in young animals (p ≤ 0.05).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1.
Fig. 2.

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  1. Varakuta, E.Yu., Potapov, A.V., Zhdankina, A.A., et al., Mathematical modeling of dynamics of the glioneuronal complex of the retina in photodamage, Byull. Sib. Med., 2012, no. 3, pp. 22–25.

  2. Zenina, O.Yu., Makarova, I.I., Ignatova, Yu.P., and Aksenova, A.V., Chronophysiology and chronopathology of the cardiovascular system, Ekol. Chel., 2017, no. 1, pp. 25–33.

  3. Zozulya, P.V. and Zozulya, A.V., Forecasts of the population of Russia and the world, Vestn. Univ., 2017, no. 2, pp. 71–75.

  4. Kostenko, E.V., Manevich, T.M., and Razumov, N.A., Desynchronosis as one of the most important factors in the development of cerebrovascular diseases, Lech. Delo, 2013, no. 2, pp. 104–116.

  5. Kubasov, R.V., Hormonal response to extreme environmental factors, Vestn. Ross. Akad. Med. Nauk, 2014, vol. 9, no. 10, pp. 102–109.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Kubatiev, A.A. and Pal’tsyn, A.A., Intracellular regeneration of the brain: a new insight, in Materialy sessii RAMN (Proceedings of Session of Russian Academy of Medical Sciences), Moscow, 2012, no. 8, pp. 21–25.

  7. Martynova, A.A., Pryanichnikov, S.V., Mikhailov, R.E., and Belisheva, N.K., Heart rate variability of mining workers of the Kola Peninsula, Ekol. Chel., 2015, no. 3, pp. 31–37.

  8. Medyanik, I.A., Yakovleva, E.I., Glakina, M.V., et al., Transient increase in the permeability of the hematoencephalic barrier by intracarotid introduction of ozonized saline, Sovrem. Tekhnol. Med., 2017, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 75–82.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Plakuev, A.N., Yur’eva, M.Yu., and Yur’ev, Yu.Yu., Modern concepts of aging and assessment of the biological age of man, Ekol. Chel., 2011, no. 4, pp. 17–25.

  10. Sverdeva, Yu.O., Varakuta, E.Yu., Logvinov, S.V., et al., Age-related morphological changes in the glioneuronal complex of the primary visual area of the cerebral cortex of rats: correction with N-tyrosol, Sib. Vestn. Psikhiatr. Narkol., 2016, vol. 93, no. 4, pp. 5–8.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Bakkour, A., Morris, J.C., Wolk, D.A., and Dickerson, B.C., The effects of aging and Alzheimer’s disease on cerebral cortical anatomy: specificity and differential relationships with cognition, NeuroImage, 2013, vol. 1, no. 76, pp. 332–344.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Calkins, D.J., Age-related changes in the visual pathways: blame it on the axon, Invest. Ophthalmol. Visual Sci., 2013, vol. 54, no. 14, pp. 37–41.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Heimann, G., Canhos, L.L., Frik, J., et al., Changes in the proliferative program limit astrocyte homeostasis in the aged posttraumatic murine cerebral cortex, Cereb. Cortex, 2017, vol. 4, pp. 1–16.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Jellinger, K.A. and Attems, J., Neuropathological approaches to cerebral aging and neuroplasticity, Dialogues Clin. Neurosci., 2013, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 29–43.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  15. Larzelere, M.M. and Jones, G.N., Stress and health, Primary Care: Clin. Off. Pract., 2008, vol. 35, no. 4, pp. 839–856.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Yates, M.A., Markham, J.A., Anderson, S.E., et al., Regional variability in age-related loss of neurons from the primary visual cortex and medial prefrontal cortex of male and female rats, Brain Res., 2008, vol. 1218, pp. 1–12.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yu. O. Sverdeva.

Additional information

Translated by I. Matiulko

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Sverdeva, Y.O., Varakuta, Y.Y., Zhdankina, A.A. et al. Age-Related Structural Changes in Primary Visual Cortex Cells of Rats under High-Intensity Light Exposure. Adv Gerontol 8, 298–301 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1134/S207905701804015X

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S207905701804015X

Navigation