Further studies on age-related unusual catecholamine structures in brain.
The occurrence of large, intensely fluorescent (LIF) catecholamine-containing spots in the brains of mice and rats has been studied by fluorescence microscopy. LIF spots in C57BL/6J mice increased in number progressively with age. Apparent differences between sexes in the number of spots were not significant at any age. A greater number of LIF spots were present in older mice and rats of different strains indicating that LIF spot formation is neither strain nor species specific. Long-term feeding of antioxidants (ascorbic acid, alpha-tocopherol, and beta-mercaptoethylamine) to C57BL/6J mice did not alter significantly the number of LIF spots, suggesting that age-related LIF spots are formed by a mechanism other than endogenous free radical damage.
D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000378:metabolism*; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006824:Hybridization, Genetic; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism*; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D013045:Species Specificity
D000975:Antioxidants; D002395:Catecholamines