Age-related changes of glutathione content, glucose transport and metabolism, and mitochondrial electron transfer function in mouse brain

• Published in: Nuclear medicine and biology 2001-01, Vol.28 (1), p.25-31
• Main Authors: Sasaki, Toru, Senda, Michio, Kim, Suh-ni, Kojima, Shuji, Kubodera, Akiko
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: [1-14C]2-Deoxy-D-glucose; [15O]Oxygen; Aging; Aging - metabolism; Aging - physiology; Analysis of Variance; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Biological Transport; Body Weight; Brain; Brain - diagnostic imaging; Brain - metabolism; Deoxyglucose - metabolism; Electron Transport; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Glucose - metabolism; Glutathione - analysis; Intermediate and energetic metabolism; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Male; Medical sciences; Metabolisms and neurohumoral controls; Mice; Mitochondria - metabolism; Nervous system; Oxidative Stress; Radionuclide Imaging; Radionuclide investigations; Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime - pharmacokinetics; Technetium-99m meso-hexamethyl propyleneamine oxime; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Visualization
• ISSN: 0969-8051; 1872-9614
• DOI: 10.1016/S0969-8051(00)00180-3

To evaluate the oxidative stress-related parameters and to determine their order of appearance in the brain aging process, radionuclide experiments were carried out on male DBF1 mice at 3, 12, 24 and 30 months of age. The content of nonprotein sulfhydryl compounds, mainly glutathione, was estimated with technetium-99m meso-hexamethyl propyleneamine oxime ([99mTc]meso-HMPAO) tissue sampling. Glucose transport and metabolism was examined with [1-14C]2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) tissue sampling. Mitochondrial electron transport function was estimated with [15O]O2 gas-tissue ARG. [99mTc]Meso-HMPAO uptake in brain expressed as standardized uptake value (SUV), (radioactivity in brain tissue/tissue weight)/(total administered radioactivity/body weight), reached maximum at 12 months of age and decreased at 24 and 30 months of age in every region examined. The pattern of 2-DG, expressed as SUV, showed a tendency to increase rather than decrease with aging. [15O]O2 fixation in brain slices remained constant until 24 months, while it decreased significantly at 30 months of age. The results suggested the possibility of using imaging techniques in vivo for longitudinal evaluation of the aging process and indicated reduction of nonprotein sulfhydryl compounds including GSH at the early stages of aging may also accelerate the dysfunction of mitochondrial electron transport and neurodegeneration.