Increase in cathepsin D activity in rat brain in aging.
Cathepsin D-like activity in homogenates of five brain areas of 3-month-old and 24-month-old Fischer 344 rats was measured. With hemoglobin as substrate at pH 3.2, more than 90% of the activity was inhibited by pepstatin. In each area studied, activity was more than twice as high in the old rat brain: 140-160% higher in the cortex, cerebellum, pons-medulla, and striatum and 90-100% higher in the hippocampus and spinal cord. The greatly increased metabolic capacity in the absence of an increase in protein turnover may have a role in age-related pathological degeneration in the brain.
Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Center for Neurochemistry, Ward's Island, New York, NY 10035.
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A
Kenessey
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M
Banay-Schwartz
T
T
DeGuzman
A
A
Lajtha
D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D002402:Cathepsin D / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344
D002402:Cathepsin D