Age-related alterations in cultured human fibroblast membrane structure and function.

Membrane enzyme activities, lipid composition, and fluorescence probe characteristics in isolated plasma membranes, microsomes and mitochondria of cultured human fibroblasts were used to determine if structural alterations occurred as a function of donor age. The cells were sex matched and allowed to undergo approximately 8 population doublings under identical culture conditions. Plasma membrane (Na+, K+)-ATPase, microsomal NADPH cytochrome c reductase, and mitochondrial succinate cytochrome c activities showed variation as a function of increasing donor age but these changes were not statistically significant. At the same time the cholesterol/phospholipid molar ratio was unaltered in plasma membranes, decreased 50% in microsomes, and unchanged in mitochondria with increasing donor age. The phosphatidylcholine/phosphatidylethanolamine ratio increased in all three membrane fractions with increasing age of the fibroblast donor. The ratio of unsaturated/saturated fatty acids decreased in the phospholipids of microsomes but not of plasma membranes or mitochondria. The structural properties of the membranes were determined with two different fluorescence probe molecules, trans-parinaric acid and 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene. These probe molecules indicated that the fluorescence lifetime and/or fluorescence polarization of the trans-parinaric acid probe decreased in microsomes, mitochondria, and in the plasma membrane, such that the limiting anisotropy, indicative of restrictions to probe motions, was significantly lower (high fluidity) with increasing subject age in plasma membranes, microsomes and mitochondria. The trans-parinaric acid fluorescence lifetime displayed two components in plasma membranes, microsomes, and mitochondria, a finding consistent with the coexistence of fluid and solid membrane lipid areas in the cultured human fibroblast subcellular membranes. The trans-parinaric acid partitioned preferentially into solid membrane areas. The limiting anisotropy of 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene, a fluorescent probe that partitioned almost equally into different lipid domains, was also decreased in microsomes and mitochondria with increasing donor age. In contrast, 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene indicated a small increase in limiting anisotropy (0.219 vs 0.195) in plasma membranes. Arrhenius plots of trans-parinaric acid and 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene absorbance-corrected fluorescence in plasma membranes, microsomes and mitochondria demonstrated characteristic breakpoints near 20 degrees C and 30 degrees C. These breakpoints were not altered as a function of age.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)