Cueto-Ureña Cristina, Ramírez-Expósito María Jesús, Carrera-González María Pilar, Martínez-Martos José Manuel
Experimental and Clinical Physiopathology Research Group CTS-1039, Department of Health Sciences, School of Health Sciences, University of Jaén, E-23071 Jaén, Spain.
Life (Basel). 2025 Feb 13;15(2):295. doi: 10.3390/life15020295.
Brain function declines because of aging and several metabolites change their concentration. However, this decrease may be a consequence or a driver of aging. It has been described that taurine levels decrease with age and that taurine supplementation increases health span in mice and monkeys, finding taurine as a driver of aging. The frontal cortex is one of the most key areas studied to know the normal processes of cerebral aging, due to its relevant role in cognitive processes, emotion, and motivation. In the present work, we analyzed by intracerebral microdialysis in vivo in the prefrontal cortex of young (3 months) and old (24 months) awake rats, the basal- and K-evoked release of taurine, and its precursors methionine and serine. The taurine/serine/methionine (TSM) ratio was also calculated as an index of transmethylation reactions. No changes were found in the basal levels of taurine, serine, or methionine between young and aged animals. On the contrary, a significant decrease in the K-evoked release of serine and taurine appeared in aged rats when compared with young animals. No changes were seen in methionine. TSM ratio also decreased with age in both basal- and K-stimulated conditions. Therefore, taurine and its related precursor serine decrease with age in the frontal cortex of aged animals under K-stimulated but not basal conditions, which supports the importance of the decline of evoked taurine in its functions at the brain level, also supporting the idea proposed by other authors of a pharmacological and/or nutritional intervention to its restoration. A deficit of precursors for transmethylation reactions in the brain with age is also considered.
由于衰老,脑功能会下降,并且几种代谢物的浓度会发生变化。然而,这种下降可能是衰老的结果或驱动因素。据描述,牛磺酸水平会随着年龄增长而降低,并且补充牛磺酸可延长小鼠和猴子的健康寿命,这表明牛磺酸是衰老的驱动因素。额叶皮质是研究大脑正常衰老过程的最关键区域之一,因为它在认知过程、情感和动机方面具有重要作用。在本研究中,我们通过脑内微透析技术,在年轻(3个月)和年老(24个月)清醒大鼠的前额叶皮质中进行了体内分析,检测了牛磺酸及其前体蛋氨酸和丝氨酸的基础释放量和钾离子诱发释放量。还计算了牛磺酸/丝氨酸/蛋氨酸(TSM)比值作为转甲基反应的指标。在年轻和年老动物之间,牛磺酸、丝氨酸或蛋氨酸的基础水平没有发现变化。相反,与年轻动物相比,老年大鼠中丝氨酸和牛磺酸的钾离子诱发释放量显著降低。蛋氨酸没有变化。在基础和钾离子刺激条件下,TSM比值也随着年龄的增长而降低。因此,在钾离子刺激而非基础条件下,老年动物额叶皮质中的牛磺酸及其相关前体丝氨酸会随着年龄增长而减少,这支持了诱发牛磺酸水平下降在其脑功能中的重要性,也支持了其他作者提出的通过药理学和/或营养干预来恢复其水平的观点。同时也考虑了随着年龄增长大脑中转甲基反应前体的缺乏。