title: Age-related changes in aldehyde dehydrogenase activity of rat brain, liver, and heart.
abstract: Aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity was measured in brains, livers, and hearts of 23-26-month-old and 3-month-old rats. A significant increase of ALDH activity was found in whole brain of old rats with both acetaldehyde (39%) and propionylaldehyde (15%) used as substrates. In different brain areas of old rats, with acetaldehyde used as substrate, a significant increase of ALDH activity was found in striatum (30-50%) and cerebral cortex (37%). However, no significant difference in ALDH activity was found in livers and hearts of young and old rats. Preliminary experiments showed a significant increase of aldehyde reductase activity (52%) with p-nitrobenzaldehyde used as substrate in whole brain of old rats compared with young rats. The present work indicates that an increase of ALDH activity in brain of old rats may be an adaptive phenomenon.
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase; D000445:Aldehyde Oxidoreductases / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology*; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology*; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000201:enzymology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D000445:Aldehyde Oxidoreductases; D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase