Cavallini Gabriella, Bergamini Ettore, Di Stefano Rossella, Donati Alessio, Maccheroni Marco, Masini Matilde, Mosca Franco, Parentini Ilaria, Pollera Maria, Gori Zina
Centro di Ricerca Interdipartimentale di Biologia e Patologia dell'Invecchiamento, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
Biogerontology. 2003;4(6):347-51. doi: 10.1023/B:BGEN.0000006554.23397.a0.
Dolichol (D) levels increase dramatically in older tissue. A better understanding of the fate of cell D and exchange between tissues could be essential for understanding the mechanism of the abnormal accumulation. The fate of red blood cell D was investigated by the use of phenylhydrazine-induced hyperhaemolysis. The effect of atrophy on D tissue levels was studied in the perineal muscles of castrated rats. Influence of D transportation between tissues on the levels of D was studied by the use of age-mismatched heterotopic transplantation of D-rich-hearts from older (22 months old) donor rats in younger (3 months old) D-poor syngenic recipients. Increased red blood cell destruction by splenic macrophages did not cause accumulation but rather a significant depletion of the D content of the spleen. The shrinkage of tissues by endocrine or disuse atrophy did not affect the D content of muscle, where D concentration increased. No significant net redistribution of D was observed from the transplanted older heart to liver and tissues of younger recipients. In conclusion, phagocytosis appears to be the only process resulting in the disposal of tissue D.
