Aging and sex influence the permeability of the blood-brain barrier in the rat.
The aim of the present study was to investigate the existence of aging- and sex-related alterations in the permeability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in the rat, by calculating a unidirectional blood-to-brain transfer constant (Ki) for the circulating tracer [14C]-alpha-aminoisobutyric acid. We observed that: a) the permeability of the BBB significantly increased within the frontal and temporo-parietal cortex, hypothalamus and cerebellum in 28-30 week old rats, in comparison with younger animals; b) in several brain areas of female intact rats higher Ki values (even though not significantly different) were calculated at oestrus than at proestrus; c) in 1-week ovariectomized rats there was a marked increase of Ki values at the level of the frontal, temporo-parietal and occipital cortex, cerebellum and brain-stem. One can speculate that aging- and sex-related alterations in the permeability of the BBB reflect respectively changes in brain neurochemical system activity and in plasma steroid hormone levels.
Saija
A
A
Department Farmaco-Biologico, School of Pharmacy, University of Messina, Italy.
Princi
P
P
D'Amico
N
N
De Pasquale
R
R
Costa
G
G
D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000621:Aminoisobutyric Acids; D000818:Animals; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D010052:Ovariectomy; D010539:Permeability; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012727:Sex Characteristics
D000621:Aminoisobutyric Acids; C100049:2-aminoisobutyric acid