title: Changes in the amount of D-aspartic acid in the human femur with age.
abstract: The amount of D-aspartic acid (D/L ratio) among total amino acids, acid-insoluble collagen, and non-collagen proteins (acid-soluble peptides) from the human femoral compact substance was measured by gas chromatography. We found that the amount of D-aspartic acid increased linearly with age in males but not in females. This difference between the sexes may be related to the sex differences in hormonal circumstances to the fact that osteopathy is more common in females than in males. The D/L ratio in total amino acids varied with the size of the bone fractions, being higher in large ones. The D/L ratio in acid-soluble peptides varied with the size of the powder particles from which they had been extracted, and was also higher in large particles. It is concluded that D-aspartic acid in the femoral compact substance increases with age only in males.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Kanagawa Dental College Yokosuka, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ohtani
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsushima
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D001224:Aspartic Acid