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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2007 Mar 26.
Published in final edited form as: Neuroscience. 2006 Nov 3;143(4):1051–1064. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2006.09.024

Table 1.

Stereological estimates of numbers and proportions of ChAT+, GAD+, PAG+ and total (NR+) cells in basal forebrain.

Sections Sampled Sites Sampled Volume (mm3) Cells Counted Cell Number Cell Density % Total
Nucleus Mean ± SD Mean ± SD Mean ± SD Mean ± SD Mean ± SD Mean ± SD
ChAT+ cells
MS 5 78.7 ± 1.5 0.939 ± 0.044 16.3 ± 15.0 2,062 ± 1,891 2,158 ± 1,954 4.4 ± 3.7
DBB 4 64.0 ± 5.3 0.738 ± 0.109 45.7 ± 13.2 5,765 ± 1,667 7,740 ± 1,379 14.5 ± 4.2
MCPO 5 104.7 ± 8.1 1.310 ± 0.112 43.0 ± 21.9 5,429 ± 2,769 4,147 ± 2,122 8.5 ± 4.3
SIa 7 187.0 ± 19.7 2.241 ± 0.245 17.0 ± 1.7 2,146 ± 219 969 ± 180 2.2 ± 0.2
SIp 4 100.0 ± 7.9 1.200 ± 0.094 21.7 ± 13.8 2,735 ± 1,742 2,275 ± 1,484 6.3 ± 3.4
GP 6 359.3 ± 10.2 4.941 ± 0.140 33.7 ± 13.7 4,250 ± 1,723 866 ± 364 6.1 ± 1.9
Total BF 12 893.7 ± 23.0 11.369 ± 0.316 177.3 ± 57.7 22,388 ± 7,290 1,976 ± 661 6.2 ± 1.3
GAD+ cells
MS 5 79.7 ± 4.0 0.940 ± 0.046 120.7 ± 78.8 15,234 ± 9,946 16,279 ± 10,473 36.9 ± 24.1
DBB 4 66.0 ± 8.7 0.765 ± 0.136 62.7 ± 34.4 7,911 ± 4,347 9,891 ± 4,581 20.6 ± 12.4
MCPO 5 106.3 ± 7.5 1.313 ± 0.092 131.0 ± 78.1 16,538 ± 9,860 12,806 ± 8,074 26.2 ± 15.6
SIa 7 181.7 ± 12.5 2.173 ± 0.197 216.0 ± 130.0 27,269 ± 16,411 12,652 ± 8,138 29.2 ± 17.9
SIp 4 101.3 ± 4.7 1.210 ± 0.087 63.0 ± 26.5 7,954 ± 3,347 6,508 ± 2,429 20.6 ± 10.1
GP 6 358.7 ± 10.5 4.932 ± 0.135 353.0 ± 47.5 44,565 ± 5,992 9,052 ± 1,351 65.7 ± 6.8
Total BF 12 893.7 ± 13.6 11.334 ± 0.276 946.3 ± 369.6 119,471 ± 46,657 10,528 ± 4,107 34.1 ± 12.8
PAG+ cells
MS 5 78.3 ± 2.3 0.939 ± 0.044 309.0 ± 56.6 39,010 ± 7,149 41,384 ± 5,832 90.5 ± 5.7
DBB 4 62.0 ± 7.8 0.738 ± 0.109 287.0 ± 64.0 36,233 ± 8,080 49,811 ± 12,461 89.6 ± 5.8
MCPO 5 103.7 ± 6.0 1.328 ± 0.088 470.0 ± 60.5 59,336 ± 7,639 44,571 ± 3,007 92.7 ± 2.0
SIa 7 185.0 ± 12.2 2.193 ± 0.163 653.3 ± 54.2 82,481 ± 6,848 37,881 ± 5,594 85.6 ± 7.8
SIp 4 100.7 ± 7.2 1.197 ± 0.096 292.0 ± 64.0 36,864 ± 8,083 30,979 ± 7,744 90.0 ± 0.7
GP 6 356.3 ± 4.7 4.910 ± 0.069 494.7 ± 115.9 62,450 ± 14,632 12,713 ± 2,920 90.8 ± 2.3
Total BF 12 886.3 ± 15.0 11.304 ± 0.235 2,506.0 ± 347.4 316,374 ± 43,860 28,006 ± 3,992 89.4 ± 3.7
NR+ cells (Total)
MS 5 78.3 ± 2.3 0.939 ± 0.044 342.3 ± 65.3 43,218 ± 8,245 45,832 ± 6,829 100.0 ± 0.0
DBB 4 62.0 ± 7.8 0.738 ± 0.109 321.7 ± 74.5 40,609 ± 9,411 56,222 ± 16,845 100.0 ± 0.0
MCPO 5 103.7 ± 6.0 1.328 ± 0.088 508.0 ± 76.5 64,133 ± 9,663 48,129 ± 4,243 100.0 ± 0.0
SIa 7 185.0 ± 12.2 2.193 ± 0.163 769.7 ± 115.6 97,168 ± 14,591 44,777 ± 9,677 100.0 ± 0.0
SIp 4 100.7 ± 7.2 1.197 ± 0.096 324.7 ± 73.0 40,988 ± 9,216 34,438 ± 8,759 100.0 ± 0.0
GP 6 356.3 ± 4.7 4.910 ± 0.069 544.7 ± 124.1 68,762 ± 15,672 13,995 ± 3,113 100.0 ± 0.0
Total BF 12 886.3 ± 15.0 11.304 ± 0.235 2,811.0 ± 432.2 354,879 ± 54,558 31,433 ± 5,132 100.0 ± 0.0

Cells were counted and total cell numbers estimated using the Optical Fractionator prob0e of StereoInvestigator in the number of sections (every 400 μm) and sites (89 x 89 μmby 8 μm depth counting blocks) indicated along with the estimated volume and corresponding cell density (per mm3) per nucleus. The % total represents the proportion that each cell type represents of the Nissl-stained (NR+) cells per nucleus, which was calculated as the total number of NR+ (PAG+/NR+ plus PAG−/NR+) cells.