ISSN:
1435-1463
Keywords:
Monoamines
;
amino acid
;
purine metabolites
;
cerebrospinal fluid
;
aging
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Summary We studied age-related changes in the concentrations of monoamines, amino acids, and their related substances in the cerebrospinal fluid on 144 neurologically normal subjects. The concentrations of tyrosine, 3-O-methyldopa, dopamine (total), norepinephrine (total), homovanillic acid, p-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, and 5-hydroxytryptophan increased significantly with age (p〈0.05), and the concentration of 3.4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid displayed a non-significant trend to decrease, whereas concentrations of other monoamine precursors and metabolites were unchanged. We found the significant positive correlations between the concentrations of HVA and 5-HIAA (p〈0.001), between tyrosine and tryptophan (p〈0.001), and between tyrosine and 3-O-methyldopa (p〈0.001). The concentrations of asparagine, glycine, taurine, and alanine increased significantly with age (p〈0.05), while glutamine, arginine, and threonine concentrations did not change with age. The aspartate, glutamate, and GABA concentrations displayed the non-significant trends to decrease in the elderly subjects. The concentrations of aspartate, glutamate, and GABA had mutually significant positive correlations (p〈0.05), but had significant negative correlations with the concentrations of some neutral amino acids. The urate and xanthine concentrations increased significantly with age (p〈0.01). These findings suggest that the concentrations of monoamine and amino acid transmitters and their related compounds in the cerebrospinal fluid reflect age-related changes in the synthesis, release, and reuptake mechanisms of the transmitters and their transport mechanisms across the blood-brain barrier.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02257676
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