Abstract
The increased generation of free radicals results in the formation of fluorescent end-products of lipid peroxidation, lipofuscin-like pigments (LFPs). The authors observed that LFPs are generated in rat brain after a normal birth during 5 postnatal days. The experimental design of the study comprised 10 groups of animals. The authors measured prenatal values 1 day and 7 days before birth, and then the animals were sampled on postnatal day 1, 2, 5, 10, 15, 25, 35, and 90. Maximum LFP concentration is achieved on the postnatal day 2. Starting from postnatal day 10, LFP concentration returns to prenatal values. A new rise in LFP concentration is observed at 3 months of age. This is associated with the beginning of the aging process. LFPs were characterized by fluorescence spectroscopy using tridimensional excitation spectra, synchronous spectra and their derivatives, and HPLC with fluorescence detection. It was possible to discern several tens of fluorescent compounds of unknown structure that are generated and metabolized during early development. The authors suggest that LFPs are formed after respiratory burst of microglia phagocytosing apoptotic cells.
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This study was supported by Grant Agency of AS CR (IAA500110606), The Centre of Neurosciences (project of Ministry of Education of the Czech Republic LC 554), and by the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (AV0Z50110509).
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Wilhelm, J., Ivica, J., Kagan, D. et al. Early postnatal development of rat brain is accompanied by generation of lipofuscin-like pigments. Mol Cell Biochem 347, 157–162 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11010-010-0623-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11010-010-0623-2