Brain water and aging

Brain water content and Na/K-ATPase activity have been compared in two groups of rats aged 60 +/- 5 days (group I) and 630 +/- 10 days (group II). In group II control animals, brain water content (p less than 0.001) and Na/K-ATPase activity (p less than 0.02) were found to be significantly reduced. Following a cryogenic lesion of the brain, the increase in water content was larger in group I (not significant), whereas impairment of Na/K-ATPase activity was much more pronounced in group II (p less than 0.001).