title: [A study of selective neuronal vulnerability in the human central nervous system].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The concept of 'selective neuronal vulnerability' refers to the differential sensitivity of neuronal populations in the nervous system to stresses that cause cell damage and lead to neurodegeneration. Because oxidative stress play a causal role in the physiological aging process, and it is often invoked as an aetiopathogenic and/or pathophysiological mechanism for neurodegeneration, in the present work we propose that the molecular bases of selective neuronal vulnerability is linked with cell adaptations related to oxidative stress.
  
  
  METHODS
  The grey substance of 5 different regions from healthy human subjects (n=7) were selected: i) to evaluate their membrane fatty acid profile by chromatographic methods, ii) to determine their membrane susceptibility to peroxidation, and iii) to recognise potential mechanisms involved in its regulation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed significant inter-regional differences in the fatty acid profile, basically due to the content of mono- and highly polyunsaturated fatty acids; changes that, in turn, induce significant differences in theirs susceptibilities to peroxidation, as well as differences that can be ascribed to the desaturase activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thus, the cross-regional comparative approach seems to confirm the idea that the level of cell membrane unsaturation may be a key trait associated with selective neuronal vulnerability.
authors.affiliation: Departament de Medicina Experimental, Universitat de Lleida-IRBLleida, Lleida, Catalunya, España. Electronic address: alba.naudi@mex.udl.cat.
authors.forename: Alba
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Naudí
authors.forename: Mariona
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jové
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ayala
authors.forename: Rosanna
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cabré
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Portero-Otin
authors.forename: Isidre
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ferrer
authors.forename: Reinald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pamplona
mesh_terms: D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids
keywords: Arachidonic acid; Desaturasas; Desaturase; Docosahexaenoic acid; Estrés oxidativo; Lipid peroxidation; Oxidative stress; Peroxidación lipídica; Ácido araquidónico; Ácido docosahexaenoico