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Updated: Jul 22, 2026
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Preparation of Acute Hippocampal Slices from Rats and Transgenic Mice for the Study of Synaptic Alterations during Aging and Amyloid Pathology
Published on: March 23, 2011
Alternative pathways for phospholipid synthesis in different brain areas during aging
M G Ilincheta de Boschero1, M E Roque, G A Salvador
1Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahía Blanca (INIBIBB), Universidad Nacional del Sur, CONICET, Camino La Carrindanga Km 7 B8000FWB, Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Experimental Gerontology
|September 9, 2000
Summary
Aging alters brain phospholipid synthesis pathways. Aged rats show increased phosphatidylserine synthesis and phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase activity, suggesting compensatory mechanisms maintain brain membrane lipid composition.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biochemistry
- Gerontology
Background:
- Brain aging involves morphological and biochemical membrane changes.
- Studies show altered phospholipid synthesis and fatty acid composition in aged rat brains.
- Main phospholipid class content remains unchanged, possibly due to alternative pathway modifications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of aging on enzyme activities in alternative phospholipid synthesis pathways.
- To examine changes in base exchange enzymes, phosphatidylserine decarboxylase (PSD), phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PEMT), and phospholipase D (PLD) activities.
- To understand how aging affects phosphatidylserine (PS) synthesis under varying calcium conditions.
Main Methods:
- Compared enzyme activities in adult (3.5-month-old) and aged (28.5-month-old) rats.
- Assessed base exchange enzyme activity (calcium-dependent).
- Measured activities of PSD, PEMT, and PLD in different brain areas.
Main Results:
- Phosphatidylserine (PS) synthesis increased in aged rat cerebral cortex (CC) and cerebellum (CRBL), especially with exogenous calcium.
- Phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PEMT) activity in aged CC increased by 100%.
- Increased phosphatidylglycerol (PG) synthesis indicated higher transphosphatidyl reaction rates in aged brains.
Conclusions:
- Aging significantly affects alternative phospholipid synthesis pathways in the central nervous system.
- These alterations suggest a compensatory mechanism to maintain brain membrane lipid composition during aging.
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