title: The fate of dolichol in rat cells and tissues.
abstract: Dolichol (D) levels increase dramatically in older tissue. A better understanding of the fate of cell D and exchange between tissues could be essential for understanding the mechanism of the abnormal accumulation. The fate of red blood cell D was investigated by the use of phenylhydrazine-induced hyperhaemolysis. The effect of atrophy on D tissue levels was studied in the perineal muscles of castrated rats. Influence of D transportation between tissues on the levels of D was studied by the use of age-mismatched heterotopic transplantation of D-rich-hearts from older (22 months old) donor rats in younger (3 months old) D-poor syngenic recipients. Increased red blood cell destruction by splenic macrophages did not cause accumulation but rather a significant depletion of the D content of the spleen. The shrinkage of tissues by endocrine or disuse atrophy did not affect the D content of muscle, where D concentration increased. No significant net redistribution of D was observed from the transplanted older heart to liver and tissues of younger recipients. In conclusion, phagocytosis appears to be the only process resulting in the disposal of tissue D.
authors.affiliation: Centro di Ricerca Interdipartimentale di Biologia e Patologia dell'Invecchiamento, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cavallini
authors.forename: Ettore
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bergamini
authors.forename: Rossella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Di Stefano
authors.forename: Alessio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Donati
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maccheroni
authors.forename: Matilde
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Masini
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mosca
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Parentini
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pollera
authors.forename: Zina
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gori
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002369:Castration; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D004286:Dolichols / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D007668:Kidney / Q000737:chemistry; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000737:chemistry; D009206:Myocardium / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D016877:Oxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage; D010659:Phenylhydrazines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013154:Spleen / Q000737:chemistry; D016042:Transplantation, Heterotopic
chemical_list: D004286:Dolichols; D016877:Oxidants; D010659:Phenylhydrazines; C030299:phenylhydrazine; D002784:Cholesterol