TY - JOUR
T1 - The effects of aging on dopaminergic neurotransmission
T2 - A microPET study of [11C]-raclopride binding in the aged rodent brain
AU - Hoekzema, E.
AU - Herance, R.
AU - Rojas, S.
AU - Pareto, D.
AU - Abad, S.
AU - Jiménez, X.
AU - Figueiras, F. P.
AU - Popota, F.
AU - Ruiz, A.
AU - Torrent, null
AU - Fernández-Soriano, F. J.
AU - Rocha, M.
AU - Rovira, M.
AU - Víctor, V. M.
AU - Gispert, J. D.
PY - 2010/12/29
Y1 - 2010/12/29
N2 - Rodent models are frequently used in aging research to investigate biochemical age effects and aid in the development of therapies for pathological and non-pathological age-related degenerative processes. In order to validate the use of animal models in aging research and pave the way for longitudinal intervention-based animal studies, the consistency of cerebral aging processes across species needs to be evaluated. The dopaminergic system seems particularly susceptible to the aging process, and one of the most consistent findings in human brain aging research is a decline in striatal D2-like receptor (D2R) availability, quantifiable by positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. In this study, we aimed to assess whether similar age effects can be discerned in rat brains, using in vivo molecular imaging with the radioactive compound [11C]-raclopride. We observed a robust decline in striatal [11C]-raclopride uptake in the aged rats in comparison to the young control group, comprising a 41% decrement in striatal binding potential. In accordance with human studies, these results indicate that substantial reductions in D2R availability can be measured in the aged striatal complex. Our findings suggest that rat and human brains exhibit similar biochemical alterations with age in the striatal dopaminergic system, providing support for the pertinence of rodent models in aging research. © 2010 IBRO.
AB - Rodent models are frequently used in aging research to investigate biochemical age effects and aid in the development of therapies for pathological and non-pathological age-related degenerative processes. In order to validate the use of animal models in aging research and pave the way for longitudinal intervention-based animal studies, the consistency of cerebral aging processes across species needs to be evaluated. The dopaminergic system seems particularly susceptible to the aging process, and one of the most consistent findings in human brain aging research is a decline in striatal D2-like receptor (D2R) availability, quantifiable by positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. In this study, we aimed to assess whether similar age effects can be discerned in rat brains, using in vivo molecular imaging with the radioactive compound [11C]-raclopride. We observed a robust decline in striatal [11C]-raclopride uptake in the aged rats in comparison to the young control group, comprising a 41% decrement in striatal binding potential. In accordance with human studies, these results indicate that substantial reductions in D2R availability can be measured in the aged striatal complex. Our findings suggest that rat and human brains exhibit similar biochemical alterations with age in the striatal dopaminergic system, providing support for the pertinence of rodent models in aging research. © 2010 IBRO.
UR - https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=78650169089&origin=inward
UR - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20937365
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2010.10.012
DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2010.10.012
M3 - Article
C2 - 20937365
SN - 0306-4522
VL - 171
SP - 1283
EP - 1286
JO - Neuroscience
JF - Neuroscience
IS - 4
ER -