Pathological characteristic of Alzheimer's disease produced by lesion in nucleus basalis of Meynert in rats

Objective To find out if the lesion in nucleus basalis of Meynert (nbM) can induce some morphological changes characteristic of Alzheimer's disease. Methods Kainic acid was injected into nbM of the rats, and the behavioral deficiency and the morphological changes in the cortex and hippocampus were observed by methenamine silver staining and electron microscopical examination. Results After 9-15 months of breeding following nbM-lesion, we observed many pathological changes in this animal model, which were characteristic of Alzheimer's disease in human, and especially we could find for the first time the formation of senile plagues after 15-month breeding. Conclusion It is proposed that the degeneration of nbM neurons might be primary and responsible for the pathological changes in other brain tissues in sporadic Alzheimer's disease.