Aging-Related Peculiarities of the Distribution of Myelin Basic Protein in Cerebral Structures of Gerbils

• Published in: Neurophysiology (New York) Vol. 47; no. 2; pp. 165 - 167
• Main Authors: Koval’chuk, Yu. P., Zhdankin, A. Ye, Ushakova, G. O.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.04.2015; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aging; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Brain; Enzymes; Meriones unguiculatus; Myelin proteins; Neurophysiology; Neurosciences; Proteins; Rodents; myelin basic protein (MBP); cerebral structures; aging; mongolian gerbils
• ISSN: 0090-2977; 1573-9007
• DOI: 10.1007/s11062-015-9514-1

Using an indirect immuno-enzyme technique, we measured the contents of myelin basic protein (MBP) in different cerebral structures of young adult and old (6- and 24-month-old, respectively) mongolian gerbils. The mean MBP content in the cerebellum of old gerbils was about 47% of the corresponding value in younger individuals (1.04 ± 0.10 and 2.20 ± 0.50 μg per 100 mg tissue, respectively). At the same time, the mean MBP contents in the thalamus and hippocampus of old gerbils demonstrated no decrease and even somewhat exceeded the corresponding values in young animals (the differences were, however, insignificant). Thus, aging-related changes in the MBP content in different brain structures of gerbils demonstrate clearly expressed specificities; there are reasons to believe that age-related processes of demyelination develop, first of all, in the cerebellum.