Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

5'-Nucleotidase activity increases in aging rat brain.

J L Fuchs1

  • 1Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton 76203.

Neurobiology of Aging
|September 1, 1991
PubMed
Summary

Brain enzyme 5'-nucleotidase activity significantly increases with age in rats, particularly from young adulthood to middle age. This age-related change in 5'-nucleotidase likely involves glial cells and impacts brain function.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Inhibitory influences on receptive field size in the dorsal column nuclei.

Experimental brain research·1999
Same author

Distribution of substance P receptor binding in dorsal column nuclei of rat, cat, monkey and human.

Brain research·1998
Same author

Effects of whisker trimming on GABA(A) receptor binding in the barrel cortex of developing and adult rats.

The Journal of comparative neurology·1998
Same author

Regional distribution of GABAA receptor binding sites in cat somatosensory and motor cortex.

The Journal of comparative neurology·1994
Same author

NMDA receptor binding in rodent suprachiasmatic nucleus.

Brain research·1994
Same author

Distribution of [3H]QNB and [125I]alpha-bungarotoxin binding and acetylcholinesterase activity in visual system and hippocampal structures of eleven mammalian species.

The Journal of comparative neurology·1993

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Biochemistry
  • Aging Research

Background:

  • 5'-nucleotidase is an enzyme found in glial and neuronal membranes.
  • It catalyzes adenosine formation, a key neuromodulator and neurotransmitter.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate age-related changes in 5'-nucleotidase activity in the rat brain.
  • To determine if these changes are specific to the brain or a general aging mechanism.

Main Methods:

  • Histochemical analysis of 5'-nucleotidase activity across different rat brain regions and ages.
  • Biochemical assays on myelin and synaptic plasma membrane fractions.
  • Comparative analysis of enzyme activity in other body tissues.

Main Results:

  • Marked increases in 5'-nucleotidase activity observed in most rat brain regions from young adulthood to middle age.
  • Specific alterations in the aging cerebellum, with declines in the molecular layer and increases in the Purkinje layer.
  • Increased enzyme activity in forebrain myelin and synaptic plasma membrane fractions; increases were brain-specific.

Conclusions:

  • Brain 5'-nucleotidase activity increases significantly during aging, particularly up to middle age.
  • These changes are specific to the brain and may be linked to increased glial cell number and size.
  • Altered enzyme activity could influence synaptic transmission through adenosine regulation.

Related Experiment Videos