Increase of the ornithine decarboxylase/polyamine system and transglutaminase upregulation in the spinal cord of aged rats.
We have investigated changes in ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity and in polyamine levels in the central nervous system of aged rats. We measured a significant increase of ODC catalytic activity in the spinal cord from 30 month-old rats (+105%) as compared to 4 month-old rats. No changes were noticed in the cerebellum, cortex and hippocampus from the same animals. A related putrescine increase was measured in the spinal cord of 30 month-old rats (+168%), together with a smaller increase of spermidine (+33%). A parallel increase (+78%) of the Ca2+-dependent transglutaminase activity was detected in the spinal cord of 30 month-old rats, while no changes were apparent in the cortex and cerebellum. Our observations indicate a possible role of the ODC/polyamine system during the normal process of ageing in rats and point to the spinal cord as the most sensitive area for this kind of modification. A possible role of protein polyamination by transglutaminase is discussed.
Virgili
M
M
Department of Biology, University of Bologna, Via Selmi 3, 40126, Bologna, Italy.
Necchi
D
D
Scherini
E
E
Contestabile
A
A
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D015317:Biogenic Polyamines / Q000378:metabolism*; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000378:metabolism; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D009955:Ornithine Decarboxylase / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000378:metabolism*; D011503:Transglutaminases / Q000378:metabolism*; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000502:physiology*
D015317:Biogenic Polyamines; D011503:Transglutaminases; D009955:Ornithine Decarboxylase