An increase in the expression of neuropeptidergic vasodilator, but not vasoconstrictor, cerebrovascular nerves in aging rats

Perivascular nerve fibres containing noradrenaline (NA), serotonin (5-HT), substance P (SP), casoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), neuropeptide Y (NPY) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) were localized in whole-mount stretch preparations of the arteries of the rat circle of Willis using fluorescence and immunohistochemical techniques. Changes in the pattern and density of these perivascular nerves were studied from birth to 27 months of age. All perivascular nerve types reached a peak density of innervation at 1 month of age. This was followed by a general fall in the density of fluorescent nerve fibres. However, with aging, there was a decrease in the expression of vasoconstrictor neurotransmitters (NA and 5-HT) in cerebrovascular nerves, whereas the expression of vasodilator neurotransmitters (VIP and CGRP) in perivascular nerve fibres supplying the rat cerebral arteries was strikingly increased in old age. The density of NPY- and SP-containing nerve fibres was not significantly altered in old age. These changes are discussed in relation to the increased incidence of cerebrovascular disorders in the elderly.