title: Study of the nitric oxide system in the rat cerebellum during aging.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The cerebellum is the neural structure with the highest levels of nitric oxide, a neurotransmitter that has been proposed to play a key role in the brain aging, although knowledge concerning its contribution to cerebellar senescence is still unclear, due mainly to absence of integrative studies that jointly evaluate the main factors involved in its cell production and function. Consequently, in the present study, we investigate the expression, location, and activity of nitric oxide synthase isoenzymes; the protein nitration; and the production of nitric oxide in the cerebellum of adult and old rats.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results show no variation in the expression of nitric oxide synthase isoforms with aging, although, we have detected some changes in the cellular distribution pattern of the inducible isoform particularly in the cerebellar nuclei. There is also an increase in nitric oxide synthase activity, as well as greater protein-nitration levels, and maintenance of nitrogen oxides (NOx) levels in the senescent cerebellum.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The nitric oxide/nitric oxide synthases system suffers from a number of changes, mainly in the inducible nitric oxide synthase distribution and in overall nitric oxide synthases activity in the senescent cerebellum, which result in an increase of the protein nitration. These changes might be related to the oxidative damage detected with aging in the cerebellum.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Biology, University of Jaen, Campus Las Lagunillas s/n, 23071, Jaén, Spain.
authors.forename: Santos
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Blanco
authors.forename: Francisco J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Molina
authors.forename: Lourdes
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.forename: Maria L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Del Moral
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hernandez
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jimenez
authors.forename: Alma
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rus
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Martinez-Lara
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Siles
authors.forename: Maria A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Peinado
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000201:enzymology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000201:enzymology; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I / Q000378:metabolism*; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000378:metabolism*; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III