Vitamin E deficiency and aging effect on expression levels of GAP-43 and MAP-2 in selected areas of the brain.

Abstract

The expression levels of GAP-43 and MAP-2, two proteins involved, respectively, in axonal and dendritic remodeling, in control adult (11 months), old (24 months), and vitamin E-deficient (11 months) rats were evaluated. mRNA levels were determined by means of a quantitative in situ hybridization procedure in subregions of hippocampus and cerebellum. Though a general trend can be observed indicating a reduction in GAP-43 expression in aging as compared to adult animals and an increase in vitamin E-deprived rats in comparison with adult animals, no statistically significant change was found in any region analyzed. In the same way, MAP-2 mRNA levels show an increase in vitamin E-deprived rats in comparison with other groups tested; only one variation was statistically significant, namely the increase in cerebellar cortex MAP-2 nRNA levels in vitamin E-deficient versus adult rats. These results suggest that oxidative stress and aging negatively affect neuroplasticity, showing different characteristics at the dendritic and axonal levels.

• Authors: Tiziana Casoli, Giuseppina Di Stefano, Alessia Delfino, Patrizia Fattoretti, Carlo Bertoni-Freddari
• Journal: Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences (Ann N Y Acad Sci) Vol. 1019 Pg. 37-40 (Jun 2004) ISSN: 0077-8923 [Print] United States
• PMID: 15246990 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• GAP-43 Protein
• RNA, Messenger
• microtubule-associated protein-2 phosphatase
• Phosphoprotein Phosphatases

Topics

• Aging
• Animals
• Brain (metabolism)
• Cerebellum (metabolism)
• Cerebral Cortex
• Female
• GAP-43 Protein (biosynthesis)
• Hippocampus (metabolism)
• Oxidative Stress
• Phosphoprotein Phosphatases (biosynthesis)
• RNA, Messenger (metabolism)
• Rats
• Rats, Wistar
• Temperature
• Vitamin E Deficiency (metabolism)