Some biochemical changes in the ageing heart of the male garden lizard.
The SDH activity of cardiac muscle homogenates reached a peak level in the middle-aged lizards followed by a decline in the old. The inhibition of enzyme activity by oxaloacetate, a competitive inhibitor, declined with advancing age. Both salt and acid solubilities of cardiac muscle collagen declined with advancing age of the lizard. An age-related accumulation of total collagen was evident per organ basis but a reverse trend prevailed on the basis of relative value. Quantitative estimations revealed a loss of DNA in ageing heart; per organ basis the DNA content increased till the lizards were middle-aged showing no further change thereafter. On the other hand the RNA content and the RNA/DNA ratio of cardiac muscle declined between young and middle-aged followed by a rise in the old lizards. The protein content increased with rise in fresh weight of heart during ageing.
D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D008116:Lizards; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D010071:Oxaloacetates / Q000494:pharmacology; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012313:RNA / Q000378:metabolism; D013385:Succinate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism
D010071:Oxaloacetates; D011506:Proteins; D012313:RNA; D003094:Collagen; D004247:DNA; D013385:Succinate Dehydrogenase