Changes in lipid phase behaviour in human myelin during maturation and aging. Involvement of lipid peroxidation.

The biophysical properties of human myelin isolated from white matter of patients aged two months to 74 years were investigated using wide-angle X-ray diffraction. The myelin transition temperature increased from 13 degrees C to 65 degrees C as age increased from two months to 17 years, demonstrating an increase in the myelin lipid stability. Following this maturation period, the myelin transition temperature remained constant at 65 degrees C until age 50. Beyond age 50, the transition temperature of myelin decreased by 13 degrees C indicating that myelin stability decreased with aging. During this aging period, the levels of malondialdehyde and conjugated diene increased, indicating an increasing amount of lipid peroxidation. Although evidence is indirect, the results of this investigation strongly suggest that free radicals could be a primary factor in the acceleration of the aging processes in the human brain.