title: Age-related alterations in cytochrome c-mediated caspase activation in rhesus macaque monkey (Macaca mulatta) brains.
abstract: Age-related changes and regional differences in caspase expression were determined in the primate brain. Using immunoblot analysis, the levels of endogenous caspase-3, caspase-9 and cytochrome c-triggered activated caspase-3 were examined in brain homogenates from the prefrontal, motor and visual cortices, cerebellum, hippocampus and amygdala of 4-year-old and 20-year-old rhesus macaques. Procaspase-3 was detected in similar quantities in all brain regions of both young and aging macaques. Being found in all brain regions, caspase-9 was significantly elevated in old macaques as compared to young ones. After incubation with cytochrome c, active forms of caspase-3 were detected in all brain regions of young and old macaques. In almost all brain regions of old monkeys, the levels of cytochrome c-dependent caspase-3 activation were higher than those of young macaques. These results suggest that the aging rhesus macaque brain has a lower threshold to apoptotic stimuli.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neuroanatomy, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, D-20246 Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Aiqun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Dietrich E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Lorke
authors.forename: Helen W L
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Xiangyang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: David T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Yew
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000494:pharmacology; D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D053148:Caspase 3; D053453:Caspase 9; D020169:Caspases / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D045304:Cytochromes c / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000201:enzymology / Q000503:physiopathology; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D045304:Cytochromes c; D053148:Caspase 3; D053453:Caspase 9; D020169:Caspases