Selective remodeling of cardiolipin fatty acids in the aged rat heart.
BACKGROUND
The heart is rich in cardiolipin, a phospholipid acylated in four sites, predominately with linoleic acid. Whether or not aging alters the composition of cardiolipin acyl chains is controversial. We therefore measured the fatty acid concentration of cardiolipin in hearts of 4, 12 and 24 month old rats that consumed one diet, adequate in fatty acids for the duration of their life.


RESULTS
The concentration (nmol/g) of linoleic acid was decreased in 24 month old rats (3965 +/- 617, mean +/- SD) vs 4 month old rats (5525 +/- 656), while the concentrations of arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acid were increased in 24 month old rats (79 +/- 9 vs 178 +/- 27 and 104 +/- 16 vs 307 +/- 68 for arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acids, 4 months vs 24 months, respectively). Similar changes were not observed in ethanolamine glycerophospholipids or plasma unesterified fatty acids, suggesting specificity of these effects to cardiolipin.


CONCLUSIONS
These results demonstrate that cardiolipin remodeling occurs with aging, specifically an increase in highly unsaturated fatty acids.
Lee
Ho-Joo
HJ
Brain Physiology and Metabolism Section, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA. hojoolee@mail.nih.gov
Mayette
Jana
J
Rapoport
Stanley I
SI
Bazinet
Richard P
RP
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002308:Cardiolipins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D004951:Esterification; D019856:Ethanolamine / Q000378:metabolism; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D020404:Glycerophospholipids / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344
D002308:Cardiolipins; D005227:Fatty Acids; D020404:Glycerophospholipids; D019856:Ethanolamine