[Possibility of using enriched glial and neuronal cell fractions to study transport of neurotransmitter amino acids in old age].

Calculated on a protein basis the yield of neuronal and glial cell-enriched fractions obtained from the brain of aged and adult rats was found to be equal. In aged animals the high affinity uptake of 14C-GABA by neuronal fractions is reduced by 27.34% while that of glial fractions by 11.87%. At 0 degrees both age groups studied the uptake of 14C-GABA is greatly inhibited--by 66% in neurones and 92% in glia. The conclusion is drawn that glial cells are changed much less with age than neurones and thus their role as modulators of neuronal function increases with age.