Coenzyme Q content in synaptic and non-synaptic mitochondria from different brain regions in the ageing rat

• Published in: Mechanisms of ageing and development 1995-03, Vol.78 (3), p.173-187
• Main Authors: Battino, M., Gorini, A., Villa, R.F., Genova, M.L., Bovina, C., Sassi, S., Littarru, G.P., Lenaz, G.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aging - metabolism; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Brain - enzymology; Coenzyme Q; Development. Metamorphosis. Moult. Ageing; Free radicals; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Male; Mitochondria - enzymology; Rat brain areas; Rats; Rats, Inbred WKY; Synapses - enzymology; Synaptic and non-synaptic mitochondria; Ubiquinone - metabolism; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems
• ISSN: 0047-6374; 1872-6216
• DOI: 10.1016/0047-6374(94)01535-T

We investigated the Coenzyme Q (CoQ) content of different mitochondrial fractions [free mitochondria (FM), synaptic heavy (HM) and light mitochondria (LM)] from three brain areas (cortex, striatum, hippocampus) of rats at different ages. In rats from 2 to 26 months of age, we observed only small differences in total CoQ content (CoQ 9 + CoQ 10). In FM and LM fractions, values are very similar and appear to be much higher than in HM fractions. The CoQ 10 CoQ 9 ratios are much higher in brain mitochondria than in other organs, suggesting possible modifications of CoQ biosynthetic pathways in brain; nevertheless they appear to remain constant during ageing. CoQ 9 and CoQ 10 contents slowly decrease reaching their minimum in rats of 18 months of age, then increase in the older ages. Considering ageing as partially driven by a summation of free radical-mediated processes, we can hypothesize that damage occurring to biological structures in the first half of life might be followed by induction phenomena tending to re-establish the primitive levels of antioxidant molecules.