title: Age-associated increases in heme oxygenase-1 and ferritin immunoreactivity in the autopsied brain.
abstract: Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is a 32 kDa heat shock protein (HSP) that catalyzes heme to biliverdin, free iron and carbon monoxide in the brain. Furthermore, the release of free ferrous ion by HO-1 plays an essential role in ferritin synthesis, and ferritin stores iron either for intracellular utilization, or for detoxification. It is well known that HO-1 immunoreactivity is enhanced greatly in neurons and glia of the hippocampus and cerebral cortex in various pathophysiological conditions. The expression of HSP 70 is well known for the age-associated increase, but the expression modalities of HO-1 and ferritin associated with aging are still unknown. A study was therefore performed to examine the correlations in the expression of HO-1 and ferritin with age using immunohistochemistry. We investigated 31 autopsied brains (3-84-year-olds) without traumatic brain injury and neurodegenerative disease. The specimens were taken from the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. In the cerebral cortex, age (aging) had a statistically significant positive correlation with HO-1 (r=0.894, P<0.01) and ferritin (r=0.731, P<0.01). In the hippocampus, age had a significant positive correlation with only HO-1 (r=0.660, P<0.01). These results showed that HO-1 and ferritin underwent an age-related increase in human brain, especially in the cerebral cortex. Our results also indicate that various stress responses may persist in the aged human brain.
authors.affiliation: Division of Forensic Pathology and Science, Department of Translational Medical Sciences, Course of Medical and Dental Sciences, Graduate School of Biochemical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki City, Nagasaki, 852-8523, Japan.
authors.forename: Wataru
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hirose
authors.forename: Kazuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ikematsu
authors.forename: Ryouichi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tsuda
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005293:Ferritins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006419:Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing) / Q000378:metabolism*; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D008875:Middle Aged; D009778:Occipital Lobe / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D008565:Membrane Proteins; D005293:Ferritins; C496541:HMOX1 protein, human; D006419:Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing); D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1