{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,4]],"date-time":"2025-11-04T23:56:55Z","timestamp":1762300615346,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":32,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,2,23]],"date-time":"2024-02-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1708646400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100005739","name":"PAPIIT UNAM, M\u00e9xico","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["IN213622","CF-2023-1-2195"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["IN213622","CF-2023-1-2195"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100005739","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100003141","name":"CONAHCYT, M\u00e9xico","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["IN213622","CF-2023-1-2195"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["IN213622","CF-2023-1-2195"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100003141","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The occurrence, inhibitory modulation, and trophic effects of GABA have been identified in the peripheral sympathetic nervous system. We have demonstrated that GABA and acetylcholine (ACh) may colocalize in the same axonal varicosities or be segregated into separate ones in the rat superior cervical ganglia (SCG). Neurotransmitter segregation varies with age and the presence of neurotrophic factors. Here, we explored age-dependent changes in the occurrence and segregation of GABA and ACh in rats ranging from 2 weeks old (wo) to 12 months old or older. Using immunohistochemistry, we characterized the expression of L-glutamic acid decarboxylase of 67 kDa (GAD67) and vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) in the rat SCG at 2, 4, 8, 12 wo and 12 months old or older. Our findings revealed that GAD67 was greater at 2 wo compared with the other ages, whereas VAChT levels were greater at 4 wo than at 12 wo and 12 months old or older. The segregation of these neurotransmitters was more pronounced at 2 and 4 wo. We observed a caudo-rostral gradient of segregation degree at 8 and 12 wo. Data point out that the occurrence and segregation of GABA and ACh exhibit developmental adaptative changes throughout the lifetime of rats. We hypothesize that during the early postnatal period, the increase in GABA and GABA-ACh segregation promotes the release of GABA alone which might play a role in trophic actions.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms25052588","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,2,23]],"date-time":"2024-02-23T04:31:23Z","timestamp":1708662683000},"page":"2588","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Age-Dependent Changes in the Occurrence and Segregation of GABA and Acetylcholine in the Rat Superior Cervical Ganglia"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"25","author":[{"given":"Alfredo","family":"Hern\u00e1ndez","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Departamento de Biolog\u00eda Celular and Fisiolog\u00eda, Instituto de Investigaciones Biom\u00e9dicas, Universidad Nacional Aut\u00f3noma de M\u00e9xico, Ciudad de M\u00e9xico 04510, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Constanza","family":"Gonz\u00e1lez-Sierra","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Departamento de Biolog\u00eda Celular and Fisiolog\u00eda, Instituto de Investigaciones Biom\u00e9dicas, Universidad Nacional Aut\u00f3noma de M\u00e9xico, Ciudad de M\u00e9xico 04510, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Mar\u00eda Elena","family":"Zetina","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Departamento de Biolog\u00eda Celular and Fisiolog\u00eda, Instituto de Investigaciones Biom\u00e9dicas, Universidad Nacional Aut\u00f3noma de M\u00e9xico, Ciudad de M\u00e9xico 04510, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Fredy","family":"Cifuentes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Departamento de Biolog\u00eda Celular and Fisiolog\u00eda, Instituto de Investigaciones Biom\u00e9dicas, Universidad Nacional Aut\u00f3noma de M\u00e9xico, Ciudad de M\u00e9xico 04510, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Miguel Angel","family":"Morales","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Departamento de Biolog\u00eda Celular and Fisiolog\u00eda, Instituto de Investigaciones Biom\u00e9dicas, Universidad Nacional Aut\u00f3noma de M\u00e9xico, Ciudad de M\u00e9xico 04510, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,2,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"85","DOI":"10.1113\/jphysiol.1975.sp011044","article-title":"Actions of gamma-aminobutyric acid on sympathetic ganglion cells","volume":"250","author":"Adams","year":"1975","journal-title":"J. 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