title: Comparison of arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase and melatonin receptor type 1B immunoreactivity between young adult and aged canine spinal cord.
abstract: Melatonin affects diverse physiological functions through its receptor and plays an important role in the central nervous system. In the present study, we compared immunoreactivity patterns of arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (AANAT), an enzyme essential for melatonin synthesis, and melatonin receptor type 1B (MT2) in the spinal cord of young adult (2~3 years) and aged (10~12 years) beagle dogs using immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. AANAT-specific immunoreactivity was observed in the nuclei of spinal neurons, and was significantly increased in aged dog spinal neurons compared to young adult spinal neurons. MT2-specific immunoreactivity was found in the cytoplasm of spinal neurons, and was predominantly increased in the margin of the neuron cytoplasm in aged spinal cord compared to that in the young adult dogs. These increased levels of AANAT and MT2 immunoreactivity in aged spinal cord might be a feature of normal aging and associated with a feedback mechanism that compensates for decreased production of melatonin during aging.
authors: Department of Neurobiology, School of Medicine, and 5Department of Anatomy, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701, Korea.
authors: Ji Hyeon
authors: JH
authors: Ahn
authors: Joon Ha
authors: JH
authors: Park
authors: In Hye
authors: IH
authors: Kim
authors: Jae-Chul
authors: JC
authors: Lee
authors: Bing Chun
authors: BC
authors: Yan
authors: Min Sik
authors: MS
authors: Yong
authors: Choong Hyun
authors: CH
authors: Lee
authors: Jung Hoon
authors: JH
authors: CHoi
authors: Ki-Yeon
authors: KY
authors: Yoo
authors: In Koo
authors: IK
authors: Hwang
authors: Seung Myung
authors: SM
authors: Moon
authors: Hyung-Cheul
authors: HC
authors: Shin
authors: Moo-Ho
authors: MH
authors: Won
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D047068:Arylalkylamine N-Acetyltransferase / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004285:Dogs; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D008297:Male; D044123:Receptor, Melatonin, MT2 / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D044123:Receptor, Melatonin, MT2; D047068:Arylalkylamine N-Acetyltransferase
keywords: aging; beagle dog; melatonin receptor; spinal gray matter; spinal neurons