Age-related changes in cerebrospinal fluid gamma-aminobutyric acid concentration.
The purpose of this study was to clarify the effect of aging on brain gamma-aminobutyric acid metabolism. We measured the cerebrospinal fluid gamma-aminobutyric acid concentration in subjects of various ages, including healthy volunteers and patients without neurological or psychiatric disease. The cerebrospinal fluid gamma-aminobutyric acid concentration was determined by radiolabelled receptor assay using [3H]gamma-aminobutyric acid. Cerebrospinal fluid gamma-aminobutyric acid was significantly higher in the control group (20s and 30s) than in the groups of subjects in their 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s. There was a significant negative correlation between cerebrospinal gamma-aminobutyric acid concentration and age (p less than 0.01). These data suggest that dysfunction of brain gamma-aminobutyric acid metabolism increases with age, and that the various symptoms caused by abnormal gamma-aminobutyric acid metabolism in the brain are therefore more likely to appear in elderly people.
Takayama
H
H
Third Department of Internal Medicine, Okayama University Medical School, Japan.
Ogawa
N
N
Yamamoto
M
M
Asanuma
M
M
Hirata
H
H
Ota
Z
Z
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011869:Radioligand Assay; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014316:Tritium; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000378:metabolism
D014316:Tritium; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid