Measurement of the 4,834-bp mitochondrial DNA deletion level in aging rat liver and brain subjected or not to caloric restriction diet.
Several studies have demonstrated an age-related accumulation of the amount of a specific 4834-bp mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) deletion in different tissues of rat (liver, brain, and skeletal muscle). We investigated the influence of a caloric restriction diet (CR) on a selected age-associated marker of mtDNA damage, as the 4834-bp deletion, using quantitative real-time PCR. The mtDNA deleted level has been determined with respect to the mitochondrial D-loop level, using specific primers and TaqMan probes for each target. In liver we found an age-related increase of the deletion level (twofold) that was reversed and brought back to the adult level by a CR diet. On the contrary, in the brain the age-related increase of the deletion level (eightfold) was not affected by CR at all. The different effect of the CR on the deletion level in liver and brain might be a further element supporting the tissue-specificity of the aging process.
Cassano
P
P
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Bari, Bari, Italy. cspr01b1@uniba.it
Lezza
A M S
AM
Leeuwenburgh
C
C
Cantatore
P
P
Gadaleta
M N
MN
D000375:Aging; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D031204:Caloric Restriction; D004249:DNA Damage; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics*; D017353:Gene Deletion; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000473:pathology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial