Changes in membrane fatty acids and delta-9 desaturase in senescence accelerated (SAMP8) mouse hippocampus with aging

• Published in: Life sciences (1973) 1999-09, Vol.65 (16), p.1657-1662
• Main Authors: Kumar, Vijaya B., Vyas, Kamlesh, Buddhiraju, Manokiran, Alshaher, Motaz, Flood, James F., Morley, John E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: aging; Aging - metabolism; Animals; Cell Membrane - enzymology; Cell Membrane - metabolism; Cholesterol, Dietary - administration & dosage; D9-Desaturase; delta-9 desaturase; Dietary Carbohydrates - administration & dosage; Fatty Acid Desaturases - biosynthesis; Fatty Acid Desaturases - genetics; Fatty Acid Desaturases - metabolism; Fatty Acids, Nonesterified - metabolism; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated - metabolism; Gene Expression; hippocampus; Hippocampus - enzymology; Hippocampus - metabolism; Mice; Mice, Inbred Strains; Palmitic Acid - metabolism; Phospholipids - metabolism; Ribonucleases - metabolism; RNA, Messenger - biosynthesis; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; senescence acceleration; Stearic Acids - metabolism; Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase
• ISSN: 0024-3205; 1879-0631
• DOI: 10.1016/S0024-3205(99)00414-2

Senescence accelerated mice (SAMP8) exhibit age induced impairments such as loss of memory and learning disabilities by the age of 8–10 months. Analysis of hippocampus of SAMP8 mice revealed that delta 9-desaturase ( Δ 9desaturase) activity reduced up to 44–50% with age. Correspondingly, levels of unsaturated fatty acids are also lowered in the aged animals approximately to the same levels. Rnase protection assay showed that Δ 9specific message decreased similarly with age. As such a decrease is known to cause alterations in membrane fluidity and affect cellular signaling pathways, these results suggest that lowering of Δ 9gene expression may be partly involved in age induced impairments.