ESTUDO COMPARATIVO DA EXPRESSÃO DE 5-TH NOS NÚCLEOS DA RAFE DO
SAGUI (CALLITHRIX JACCHUS): NÚCLEO DORSAL DA RAFE E NÚCLEO
MEDIANO DA RAFE ENTRE ANIMAIS JOVENS E IDOSOS.
Serotonin; Aging; Primate; Morphometry.
Circadian rhythms are endogenous biological rhythms that have a cycle of
approximately 24 hours, in mammals the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the
hypothalamus is considered the main pacemaker of this system. The SCN communicates with
other oscillators such as the intergeniculate leaflet and the raphe nuclei , which make up an
important serotonin production center in the brain. This neurohormone has an effect on
several areas of the brain, including circadian rhythms. The raphe nuclei that have the highest
number of serotonergic neurons are: Dorsal Raphe Nucleus (DDR) and Median Raphe
Nucleus (NMnR), which make indirect and direct communication, respectively, with the
SCN. With aging, many morphological and functional changes occur in the brain, changes
that can lead to the development of diseases, leading from senescence to a pathological
condition. Understanding the effects of senescence on the raphe nuclei contributes to the
better development of treatments for pathologies associated with these nuclei. Therefore, the
objective of this work is to analyze the anatomical structures of the raphe nuclei of young
adults and elderly marmosets (Callithrix jacchus). The marmoset was chosen because of its
short lifespan, which facilitates aging studies, and similarity in aging processes with humans.