Longitudinal quantification of metabolites and macromolecules reveals age- and sex-related changes in the healthy Fischer 344 rat brain.
Normal aging is associated with numerous biological changes, including altered brain metabolism and tissue chemistry. In vivo characterization of the neurochemical profile during aging is possible using magnetic resonance spectroscopy, a powerful noninvasive technique capable of quantifying brain metabolites involved in physiological processes that become impaired with age. A prominent macromolecular signal underlies those of brain metabolites and is particularly visible at high fields; parameterization of this signal into components improves quantification and expands the number of biomarkers comprising the neurochemical profile. The present study reports, for the first time, the simultaneous absolute quantification of brain metabolites and individual macromolecules in aging male and female Fischer 344 rats, measured longitudinally using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy at 7 T. We identified age- and sex-related changes in neurochemistry, with prominent differences in metabolites implicated in anaerobic energy metabolism, antioxidant defenses, and neuroprotection, as well as numerous macromolecule changes. These findings contribute to our understanding of the neurobiological processes associated with healthy aging, critical for the proper identification and management of pathologic aging trajectories. This article is part of the Virtual Special Issue titled COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE OF HEALTHY AND PATHOLOGICAL AGING. The full issue can be found on ScienceDirect athttps://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/neurobiology-of-aging/special-issue/105379XPWJP.
['Fowler|Caitlin F|CF|', 'Madularu|Dan|D|', 'Dehghani|Masoumeh|M|', 'Devenyi|Gabriel A|GA|', 'Near|Jamie|J|']
D000818:Animals D001921:Brain D004734:Energy Metabolism D005260:Female D000073656:Healthy Aging D046911:Macromolecular Substances D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy D008297:Male D011916:Rats, Inbred F344 D012727:Sex Characteristics
Macromolecule In vivo Biomarker Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy Healthy aging Bioenergetics