title: Age-associated changes in central nervous system glycerolipid composition and metabolism.
abstract: In this review, changes in brain lipid composition and metabolism due to aging are outlined. The most striking changes in cerebral cortex and cerebellum lipid composition involve an increase in acidic phospholipid synthesis. The most important changes with respect to fatty acyl composition involve a decreased content in polyunsaturated fatty acids (20:4n-6, 22:4n-6, 22:6n-3) and an increased content in monounsaturated fatty acids (18:1n-9 and 20:1n-9), mainly in ethanolamine and serineglycerophospholipids. Changes in the activity of the enzymes modifying the phospholipid headgroup occur during aging. Serine incorporation into phosphatidylserine through base-exchange reactions and phosphatidylcholine synthesis through phosphatidylethanolamine methylation increases in the aged brain. Phosphatidate phosphohydrolase and phospholipase D activities are also altered in the aged brain thus producing changes in the lipid second messengers diacylglycerol and phosphatidic acid.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas, Universidad Nacional del Sur y Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Técnicas, B8000FWB Bahía Blanca, Argentina. ngiusto@criba.edu.ar
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Giusto
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Salvador
authors.forename: P I
authors.initials: PI
authors.lastname: Castagnet
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Pasquaré
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Ilincheta de Boschero
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D020404:Glycerophospholipids / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D020404:Glycerophospholipids