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Age‐Related Changes of Ribonuclease Activities in Various Regions of the Rat Central Nervous System
Author(s) -
Alberghina M.,
Stella A. M. Giuffrida
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
journal of neurochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.75
H-Index - 229
eISSN - 1471-4159
pISSN - 0022-3042
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-4159.1988.tb04829.x
Subject(s) - rnase p , organelle , ribonuclease , central nervous system , hypothalamus , endocrinology , hippocampus , medicine , cytoplasm , biology , spinal cord , enzyme , biochemistry , chemistry , rna , neuroscience , gene
Acid (pH 5.5), free, and latent alkaline (pH 7.4) RNases were assayed in homogenates of temporal cortex, hypothalamus, hippocampus, and cervicothoracic segments of spinal cord of rats at three different ages (5, 14 , and 25 months old). Free alkaline RNase activity was lower (two‐ to fivefold) than the acid activity. Both free and inhibitor‐bound alkaline RNases remained unchanged with age in all CNS regions examined. This result also indirectly indicates no change of RNase‐inhibitor complex throughout aging. In contrast, the acid RNase activity showed a significant increase during aging in all tissues, with exception of the hypothalamus. Because this enzyme is localized mainly in the lysosomes, this result might be due to an increased lysosomal activity and/or to the release of hydro‐lases into the cytoplasm from these organelles, undergoing shrinkage and degeneration in aged animals.