Early and simultaneous emergence of multiple hippocampal biomarkers of aging is mediated by Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release.
Age-dependent changes in multiple Ca2+-related electrophysiological processes in the hippocampus appear to be consistent biomarkers of aging, and several also correlate with cognitive decline. These findings have led to the hypothesis that a common mechanism of Ca2+ dyshomeostasis underlies aspects of aging-dependent brain impairment. However, some key predictions of this view remain untested, including that multiple Ca2+-related biomarkers should emerge concurrently during aging and their onset should also precede/coincide with initial signs of cognitive decline. Moreover, blocking a putative common source of dysregulated Ca2+ should eliminate aging differences. Here, we tested these predictions using combined electrophysiological, imaging, and pharmacological approaches in CA1 neurons to determine the ages of onset (across 4-, 10-, 12-, 14-, and 23-month-old F344 rats) of several established biomarkers, including the increases in the slow afterhyperpolarization, spike accommodation, and [Ca2+]i rise during repetitive synaptic stimulation. In addition, we tested the hypothesis that altered Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release (CICR) from ryanodine receptors, which can be triggered by L-type Ca2+ channels, provides a common source of dysregulated Ca2+ in aging. Results showed that multiple aging biomarkers were first detectable at about the same age (12 months of age; approximately midlife), sufficiently early to influence initial cognitive decline. Furthermore, selectively blocking CICR with ryanodine slowed the Ca2+ rise during synaptic stimulation more in aged rat neurons and, notably, reduced or eliminated aging differences in the biomarkers. Thus, this study provides the first evidence that altered CICR plays a role in driving the early and simultaneous emergence in hippocampus of multiple Ca2+-related biomarkers of aging.
Department of Molecular and Biomedical Pharmacology, University of Kentucky Medical Center, Lexington, Kentucky 40536-0298, USA.
John C
JC
Gant
Michelle M
MM
Sama
Philip W
PW
Landfield
Olivier
O
Thibault
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type / Q000378:metabolism*; D020013:Calcium Signaling / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000502:physiology*; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000502:physiology; D015640:Ion Channel Gating; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D019837:Ryanodine Receptor Calcium Release Channel / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology
D015415:Biomarkers; D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type; D019837:Ryanodine Receptor Calcium Release Channel; D002118:Calcium