[Age-related changes in the cytolytic activity of aspartyl aminopeptidase in the cerebral cortex of the rat].
BACKGROUND
Recently, neurotoxicity mediated by excitatory amino acids has been considered to be the etiopathogenic basis of various neurodegenerative processes, including aging of the brain.


OBJECTIVE
Since the enzyme aspartyl-aminopeptidase (Asp-AP) may play a role in modifying the concentration of the cytotoxic amino acids glutamate and aspartate, we studied the changes in its activity in the rat cerebral cortex, which were possibly related to age.


METHODS
Homogenates of frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital cortex were obtained from young and old rats. The activity of Asp-AP in these homogenates determined by fluorimetry.


RESULTS
Our results showed a significant age-dependent drop in Asp-AP activity in the frontal, parietal and occipital cortices, with little change in the temporal cortex.


CONCLUSIONS
These results may be understood as part of a general schedule of age-dependent modifications of the cerebral protease systems.
Iribar
M C
MC
Departamento de Bioquimica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Granada, España.
Esteban
M J
MJ
Peinado
J M
JM
D000626:Aminopeptidases / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D018846:Excitatory Amino Acids / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar / Q000502:physiology*
D018846:Excitatory Amino Acids; D000626:Aminopeptidases
Cambios edad-dependientes en la actividad citosólica de aspartil-aminopeptidasa en la corteza cerebral de la rata.