Cytochrome oxidase activity in hippocampal synaptic mitochondria during aging: a quantitative cytochemical investigation.
Synaptic mitochondria, cytochemically positive to cytochrome oxidase (COX) activity, were investigated by morphometric methods in the hippocampal dentate gyrus of adult and old rats. The number of mitochondria/microm(3) of tissue (Nv), the volume fraction occupied by mitochondria/microm(3) of tissue (Vv), the average mitochondrial volume (V), the longer mitochondrial diameter (F(max)), and the ratio R:mitochondrial area/overall area of the cytochemical precipitate due to COX activity were measured on COX-positive organelles. In old animals, Nv, Vv, V, and F(max) increased at a not significant extent; R was not significantly decreased. The complement (%) of longer organelles was higher in old animals. COX activity is currently considered an endogenous marker of neuronal oxidative metabolism; thus, although our findings refer to the discrete subpopulation of COX-positive organelles located at synaptic terminals, they support that changes of mitochondrial ultrastructure and metabolic competence may contribute to the age-related alterations of neuronal performances.
Bertoni-Freddari
Carlo
C
Neurobiology of Aging Laboratory, INRCA Research Department, Via Birarelli 8, 60121 Ancona, Italy. c.bertoni@inrca.it
Fattoretti
Patrizia
P
Giorgetti
Belinda
B
Solazzi
Moreno
M
Balietti
Marta
M
Casoli
Tiziana
T
Di Stefano
Giuseppina
G
D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000473:pathology; D018891:Dentate Gyrus / Q000473:pathology; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013569:Synapses / Q000378:metabolism*
D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV; D010100:Oxygen