A QUANTITATIVE HISTOLOGICAL STUDY OF NEURONAL LOSS FROM THE LOCUS COERULEUS OF AGEING MICE

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Abstract
A quantitative histological study of neurons in the locus coeruleus (LC) was carried out in ASH/TO mice aged 6, 9, 12, 15, 22, 25, 28 and 31 mo. Counts were carried out on the right LC in 6 .mu.m parasagittal sections. There was wide individual variation and also a variation between age groups from 6-15 mo., but the mean number of neurons in the LC never fell below 1325 until after 25 mo. The mean number of neurons in the LC from 6-25 mo. was 1520 .+-. 73. The mean number of neurons at 28 and 31 mo. was 1009 .+-. 60 and 854 .+-. 146, respectively. The pattern of neuron loss in the LC of ASH/TO mice is apparently similar to that found in the normal aging human brain in a number of quantitative histological studies.