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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2008 Apr 1.
Published in final edited form as: Neurobiol Dis. 2007 Jan 23;26(1):56–65. doi: 10.1016/j.nbd.2006.11.013

Figure 7.

Figure 7

Aging and exposure to MPTP produce specific reductions in soma area and TH staining intensity in the three major subdivisions of SNC. For dorsal tier and ventral tier neurons of the intact hemisphere, there was an aging-related reduction in intensity of THir that reached statistical significance for the comparison of young adult monkeys to aged monkeys (dorsal tier and ventral tier: # p<0.02 for comparison of young to old). For pars lateralis neurons an aging-related decline in THir was evident, but did not attain statistical significance (p=0.053). For these cells the change expressed was decreased soma cross-sectional area. This decline was detectable in middle-age and sustained in old age (# p<0.03). In general MPTP treatment was associated with further decreases in both THir intensity and soma area in all regions in all age groups. Statistically significant decreases in soma area were detected for dorsal tier neurons of aged monkeys (* p<0.01) and pars lateralis neurons of young and old monkeys (* p<0.03). This cell shrinkage after MPTP exposure was exaggerated in the oldest animals when compared to young adult animals (+ p<0.04).