Analysis of neuronal nitric oxide synthase expression and increasing astrogliosis in the brain of senescence-accelerated-prone 8 mice.
The senescence-accelerated mouse (SAM) is an autogenic senile murine model characterized by early cognitive impairment and age-related deterioration of learning and memory. The present study investigated the alternations of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) expression in frontal cortex and hippocampus in the aging process of SAM-prone 8 (SAMP8) and SAM-resistant 1 (SAMR1) mice. The results demonstrated that the expression of nNOS was upregulated in the frontal cortex, but downregulated in the hippocampus in SAMP8. Further, age-related increases of astrogliosis were seen in the cortex and hippocampi of aged SAMP8 and SAMR1, as revealed by the expression of the astrocyte specific marker, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Indeed, astrogliosis in aged SAMP8 was significantly greater than that of aged SAMR1. Our results suggest the possibility of a correlation between the downregulation of nitric oxide (NO) in the hippocampus and reported learning and memory deficits in SAMP8. However, the toxic effects of NO and age-related increases of astrogliosis, may have contributed to abnormal alterations in metabolism and neurochemical mechanisms in aged SAMP8.
Han
Shu
S
Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Medical College, Zhejiang University, China.
Rudd
John A
JA
Hu
Zhi Ying
ZY
Zhang
Lihong
L
Yew
David T
DT
Fang
Marong
M
D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D005911:Gliosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics
D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I