Metabolism of choline in brain of the aged CBF-1 mouse

Journal Article · Tue Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1985 · J. Neurosci. Res.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/jnr.490150209· OSTI ID:5809261

Saito, M; Kindel, G; Karczmar, A G; Rosenberg, A

In order to quantify the changes that occur in the cholinergic central nervous system with aging, we have compared acetylcholine (Ach) formation in brain cortex slice preparations from 2-year-old aged CBF-1 mouse brains and compared the findings with those in 2-4-month-old young adult mouse brain slices. Incorporation of exogenous radioactively labelled choline (31 nM (/sup 3/H) choline) into acetyl choline in incubated brain slices was linear with time for 90 min. Percentage of total choline label distributed into Ach remained constant from 5 min after starting the incubation to 90 min. In contrast, distribution of label into intracellular free choline (Ch) and phosphorylcholine (Pch) changed continuously over this period suggesting that the Ch pool for Ach synthesis in brain cortex is different from that for Pch synthesis. Incorporation of radioactivity into Ach was not influenced by administration of 10 microM eserine, showing that the increment of radioactivity in Ach reflects rate of Ach formation, independently from degradation by acetylcholine esterases. Under our experimental conditions, slices from cortices of aged 24-month-old mouse brain showed a significantly greater (27%) incorporation of radioactivity into intracellular Ach than those from young, 2-4-month-old, brain cortices. Inhibitors of Ach release, 1 mM ATP or GABA, had no effect. Since concentration of radioactive precursor in the incubation medium was very low (31 nM), the Ch pool for Ach synthesis in slices was labelled without measurably changing the size of the endogenous pool. These data suggest a compensatory acceleration of Ach synthesis or else a smaller precursor pool specific for Ach synthesis into which labelled Ch migrated in aged brain.

• Research Organization: Loyola Univ. Medical Center, Maywood, IL
• OSTI ID: 5809261
• Journal Information: J. Neurosci. Res.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Neurosci. Res.; (United States) Vol. 2; ISSN JNRED
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550501* -- Metabolism-- Tracer Techniques
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ACETYLCHOLINE
AGE DEPENDENCE
AGING
ALCOHOLS
AMINES
AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS
ANIMALS
AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM AGENTS
BODY
BRAIN
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
CHOLINE
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DRUGS
ESTERS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
LIPOTROPIC FACTORS
MAMMALS
METABOLISM
MICE
NERVOUS SYSTEM
NEUROREGULATORS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PARASYMPATHOMIMETICS
QUATERNARY COMPOUNDS
RODENTS
TRACER TECHNIQUES
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS
VERTEBRATES