title: Senescence-associated beta-galactosidase activity expression in aging hippocampal neurons.
abstract: To investigate the activity of senescence-associated beta-galactosidase (SA-beta-GAL) in the hippocampus of aging rats. Hippocampi of 6-, 18-, and 24-month-old rats were observed by histochemical staining for SA-beta-GAL and cytochemical staining for SA-beta-GAL in cultured hippocampal neurons. The activity of SA-beta-GAL doubled in hippocampal pyramidal cells of the CA3 region in rats between 6 and 18 months (14.57+/-2.74% vs. 31.66+/-14.12% SA-beta-GAL-positive, respectively), and reached 50.76+/-14.41% positive at 24 months. The activity of SA-beta-GAL also increased as a function of time upon prolonged culture of cultured hippocampal neurons with 95% of cells being SA-beta-GAL-positive at 20 days in vitro. Interestingly, no SA-beta-GAL-positive cells were found in neurons of the hippocampal dentate gyrus, a neurogenic region of the brain, at any age examined. SA-beta-GAL can be used as a senescence biomarker in determining senescent neurons in hippocampal pyramidal cells of the CA3 region in advanced aging.
authors.affiliation: Central Laboratory, Joint Shantou International Eye Center of Shantou University and The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shantou University Medica College, Dongxia Bei Road, Shantou, 515041 Guangdong, China. yqgeng@126.com
authors.forename: Yi-Qun
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Geng
authors.forename: Ji-Tian
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.forename: Xiao-Hu
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Yu-Cai
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Fu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers; D056654:CA3 Region, Hippocampal / Q000201:enzymology / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016922:Cellular Senescence; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000201:enzymology / Q000502:physiology; D017966:Pyramidal Cells / Q000201:enzymology / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D001616:beta-Galactosidase