Distribution and colocalization of choline acetyltransferase immunoreactivity and NADPH diaphorase reactivity in neurons within the medial septum and diagonal band of broca in the rat basal forebrain

Abstract

NADPH diaphorase histochemistry and choline acetyltransferase immunocytochemistry were used to assess quantitatively the presence of nitric oxide synthase in the cholinergic neurons ofthe magnocellular basal forebrain complex. Virtually all (97%) NADPH diaphorase reactive magnocellular neurons in the medial septum and the vertical and horizontal limbs of the diagonal band of Broca were choline acetyltransferase immunoreactive, whereas only a proportion ofthe choline acetyltransferase immunoreactive neurons were NADPH diaphorase reactive. Thus NADPH diaphorase histochemistry identified a population ofthe magnocellular cholinergic neurons. Occasionally, NADPH diaphorase reactive neurons were o..