Astrocytic hypertrophy and altered GFAP degradation with age in subcortical white matter of the rhesus monkey.

Abstract

Reactive astrocytosis is a well known phenomenon that occurs in the normal aging process of the brain. While many studies indicate astrocytic hypertrophy and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) content increase with age in the hippocampal formation of certain animal models, it is unclear whether these findings are generalizable to the primate and to other areas of the brain. In this study, we quantitatively assessed age-related changes in astrocytic cell size and density in a rhesus monkey model of normal aging. By GFAP immunohistochemistry, we observed an increase in GFAP(+) cell size but not density in all subcortical white matter areas of the frontal, temporal, and parietal cortices. No significant increases in astrocyte hypertrophy were observed in any gray matter area examined. In addition, Western blotting experiments showed increases in total and degraded GFAP content with age, suggesting altered degradation and possibly production of GFAP occur with age.

• Authors: J A Sloane, W Hollander, D L Rosene, M B Moss, T Kemper, C R Abraham
• Journal: Brain research (Brain Res) Vol. 862 Issue 1-2 Pg. 1-10 (Apr 17 2000) ISSN: 0006-8993 [Print] Netherlands
• PMID: 10799662 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.)

Chemical References

• Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein

Topics

• Aging (metabolism, pathology)
• Animals
• Astrocytes (chemistry, metabolism, pathology)
• Blotting, Western
• Brain (metabolism, pathology)
• Female
• Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (analysis, metabolism)
• Gliosis (metabolism, pathology)
• Hypertrophy
• Macaca mulatta
• Male
• Nerve Fibers (pathology)