title: Aging-associated up-regulation of neuronal 5-lipoxygenase expression: putative role in neuronal vulnerability.
abstract: Aging is associated with neurodegenerative processes. 5-Lipoxygenase (5-LO), which is also expressed in neurons, is the key enzyme in the synthesis of leukotrienes, inflammatory eicosanoids that are capable of promoting neurodegeneration. We hypothesized that neuronal 5-LO expression can be up-regulated in aging and that this may increase the brain's vulnerability to neurodegeneration. We observed differences in the distribution of 5-LO-like immunoreactivity in various brain areas of adult young (2-month-old) vs. old (24-month-old) male rats. Greater 5-LO-like immunoreactivity was found in old vs. young rats, in particular in the dendrites of pyramidal neurons in limbic structures, including the hippocampus, and in layer V pyramidal cells of the frontoparietal cortex and their apical dendrites. The aging-increased expression of neuronal 5-LO protein appears to be due to increased 5-LO gene expression. Using a quantitative reverse transcription/polymerase chain reaction assay and 5-LO-specific oligonucleotide primers and their mutated internal standards, we observed about a 2.5-fold greater hippocampal 5-LO mRNA content in old rats. 5-LO-like immunoreactivity was also observed in small, nonpyramidal cells, which were positive for glutamic acid decarboxylase or glial fibrillary acid protein. This type of 5-LO immunostaining did not increase in the old rats. Hippocampal excitotoxic injury induced by systemic injection of kainate was greater in old rats. Neuroprotection was observed with the 5-LO inhibitor, caffeic acid. Together, these results suggest that aging increases both neuronal 5-LO expression and neuronal vulnerability to 5-LO inhibitor-sensitive excitotoxicity, and indicate that the 5-LO system might play a significant role in the pathobiology of aging-associated neurodegenerative diseases.
authors.affiliation: The Psychiatric Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago, 60612, USA.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Uz
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pesold
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Longone
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Manev
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001094:Arachidonate 5-Lipoxygenase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002109:Caffeic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology; D004247:DNA / Q000187:drug effects; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000502:physiology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D007608:Kainic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D016859:Lipoxygenase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000201:enzymology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D002109:Caffeic Acids; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists; D016859:Lipoxygenase Inhibitors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D004247:DNA; D001094:Arachidonate 5-Lipoxygenase; D007608:Kainic Acid; C040048:caffeic acid