老年学习记忆减退大鼠脑线粒体DNA缺失

目的和方法:测定老年大鼠脑mtDNA缺失型(以下简称缺失型),缺失mtDNA比例,探讨mtDNA缺失与老年性学习记忆减退的关系,为研究其分子机制提供基础资料。用Morris水迷宫将老年大鼠(24个月)筛选为老年学习记忆正常和学习记忆减退两组。用稀释PCR法测定大鼠大脑皮质、海马和小脑缺失型mtDNA比例。结果:青老年鼠大脑皮质、海马和小脑均存在mtDNA缺失,片段为4834bp;青年鼠的缺失比例约为0.00018%。老年记忆正常鼠上述3个脑区缺失型mtDNA缺失比例分别是青年鼠的6倍、6倍和2倍;老年记忆减退大鼠上述脑区的缺失型mtDNA比例分别是老年记忆正常鼠的2倍、1.8倍和3倍。结论:衰老时脑组织缺失型mtDNA增多,而老年学习记忆减退鼠较老年学习记忆正常鼠mtDNA缺失进一步成倍增加,表明相关脑区的mtDNA缺失在老年学习记忆减退的细胞分子机制中发挥重要作用。

Mitochondrial DNA deletion of the brain tissue of aged rats with learning and memory deficit

AIM and METHODS: The ratio of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) deletion was measured to find the relationship between mtDNA deletion and aged learning and memory deficit. The aged rats were divided into two groups, aged learning and memory deficit group and aged learning and memory normal group. The ratio of mtDNA deletion was measured by dilution polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: There are deleted mtDNA (about 4834 bp) in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum of both young and aged rats. The ratios of deleted mtDNA were similar in the cerebral cortex,hippocampus and cerebellum of young rats (about 0.00018%). The ratio mtDNA of aged learning and memory normal rats had increased by five-fold in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus, or one-fold in the cerebellum over young rats. The ratio of aged learning and memory dificit rats had increased by one-fold in the cerebral cortex or 0.8-fold in the hippocampus or two-fold in the cerebellum over aged learning and memory normal rats.CONCLUSIONS: There was really the increase of mtDNA in aging rat brain. And this increase was double in amount in aged learning and memory deficit rats compared to the normal learning and memory aged rats. It is suggested that the mtDNA deletions in the brain regions associated with learning and memory may be contributed to the cellular and molecular mechanism of learning and memory deicit with aged rats.