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Age-related changes in multiple neurotransmitter systems in the monkey brain
G L Wenk1, D J Pierce, R G Struble
1Department of Psychology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218.
Neurobiology of Aging
|January 1, 1989
Summary
Aging rhesus monkeys show significant declines in key neurotransmitter systems, including choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and serotonin binding sites, across multiple brain regions. These changes mirror human aging, suggesting monkeys are a valuable model for studying age-related brain alterations.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Primatology
- Aging Research
Background:
- Neurotransmitter systems undergo significant changes with aging.
- Understanding these changes is crucial for addressing age-related cognitive and motor decline.
- Non-human primate models offer valuable insights into human aging processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-associated alterations in cholinergic, monoaminergic, and amino acid neurotransmitter systems.
- To analyze these changes across 14 distinct brain regions in rhesus monkeys.
- To determine the utility of the aging rhesus monkey as a model for human age-related neurological changes.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of neurotransmitter systems in 23 rhesus monkeys aged 2 to 37 years.
- Measurement of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity.
- Quantification of [3H]ketanserin (serotonin type-2) and Na+-independent [3H]glutamate binding sites.
- Assay of endogenous dopamine, homovanillic acid, serotonin, and norepinephrine levels.
Main Results:
- Significant age-related decreases in ChAT activity in the frontal pole and precentral motor cortex.
- Reduced [3H]ketanserin binding sites in the frontal pole, parietal, and occipital cortex with aging.
- Increased Na+-independent [3H]glutamate binding sites in the parietal and occipital cortex.
- Decreased norepinephrine levels in the caudate nucleus.
- Age-associated declines in dopamine and serotonin in the frontal pole.
Conclusions:
- Aging rhesus monkeys exhibit widespread, age-dependent alterations in key neurotransmitter systems.
- These neurochemical changes in monkeys closely resemble those observed in the aging human brain.
- The aging rhesus monkey serves as a relevant and valuable model for studying human age-related neurological disorders and transmitter abnormalities.