title: Effect of treatment with L-deprenyl on age-dependent microanatomical changes in the rat kidney.
abstract: The influence of aging and of treatment with L-deprenyl on the structure of the kidney was investigated in 24-month-cld male Sprague Dawley rats by microanatomical techniques associated with image analysis. L-Deprenyl was administrated orally for 5 months at a dose not inhibiting monoamine oxidase (MAO) B activity (1.25/mg/kg/day) and at a dose inhibiting MAO B activity (5 mg/kg/day). In 24 month-old-rats the number and the volume of glomeruli was reduced in comparison with 12-month-old rats used as reference adult animals. Vascular changes characterised by increased thickness of the tunica media, decreased size of arterial lumen and increased wall-to-lumen ratio were also noticeable in 24-month-old rats. Moreover, an increased MAO B reactivity was noticeable within glomerular tufts and renal tubules. Treatment with the low dose of L deprenyl did not cause changes in MAO B reactivity, or in the number of glomeruli, but increased glomerular volume and reduced the wall-to-lumen ratio in medium-sized renal artery branches. The dose of 5 mg/kg/day of L-deprenyl significantly decreased MAO B reactivity within both glomerular tufts and tubules, increased the number and the volume of glomeruli and countered-age-related vascular changes. The above results suggest that treatment with L-deprenyl counters to some extent microanatomical changes occurring in the kidney of aged rats. The observation that the dose of the compound inactive on MAO B activity reduces in part age dependent renal microanatomical changes, indicates that the renal protective effect of L-deprenyl is only in part related to MAO B inhibition.
authors.affiliation: Sezione di Anatomia Umana, Instituto di Farmacologia, Universita' di Camerino, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Battisti
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Barili
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ferrante
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Valsecchi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Amenta
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007668:Kidney / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008996:Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012642:Selegiline / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D008996:Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors; D012642:Selegiline