Aida Niñerola-Baizán1, Santiago Rojas2, Núria Roé-Vellvé3, Francisco Lomeña4, Domènec Ros5, Javier Pavía6. 1. Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN); Unitat de Biofísica i Bioenginyeria, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat de Barcelona. 2. Institut d'Alta Tecnologia, PRBB, CRC Corporació Sanitària; Fundació Pasqual Maragall. 3. Unitat de Biofísica i Bioenginyeria, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat de Barcelona; Unidad de Imagen, CIMES, Fundación General de la Universidad de Málaga. 4. Servei de Medicina Nuclear, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM); Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS). 5. Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN); Unitat de Biofísica i Bioenginyeria, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat de Barcelona; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS). 6. Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN); Servei de Medicina Nuclear, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS). Electronic address: jpavia@clinic.ub.es.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Rodent models are extensively used to assess the biochemical and physiological changes associated with aging. They play a major role in the development of therapies for age-related pathologies such as Parkinson's disease. To validate the usefulness of these animal models in aging or age-related disease research, the consistency of cerebral aging processes across species must be evaluated. The dopaminergic system seems particularly susceptible to the aging process. One of the results of this susceptibility is a decline in striatal dopamine transporter (DAT) availability. METHODS: We sought to ascertain whether similar age changes could be detected in-vivo in rats, using molecular imaging techniques such as single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with [(123)I]FP-CIT. RESULTS: A significant decrease of 17.21% in the striatal specific uptake ratio was observed in the aged rats with respect to the young control group. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that age-related degeneration in the nigrostriatal track is similar in humans and rats, which supports the use of this animal in models to evaluate the effect of aging on the dopaminergic system. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PATIENT CARE: Our findings indicate that age-related degeneration in the nigrostriatal track is similar in humans and rats and that these changes can be monitored in vivo using small animal SPECT with [(123)I]FP-CIT, which could facilitate the translational research in rat models of age related disorders of dopaminergic system.
INTRODUCTION: Rodent models are extensively used to assess the biochemical and physiological changes associated with aging. They play a major role in the development of therapies for age-related pathologies such as Parkinson's disease. To validate the usefulness of these animal models in aging or age-related disease research, the consistency of cerebral aging processes across species must be evaluated. The dopaminergic system seems particularly susceptible to the aging process. One of the results of this susceptibility is a decline in striatal dopamine transporter (DAT) availability. METHODS: We sought to ascertain whether similar age changes could be detected in-vivo in rats, using molecular imaging techniques such as single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with [(123)I]FP-CIT. RESULTS: A significant decrease of 17.21% in the striatal specific uptake ratio was observed in the aged rats with respect to the young control group. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that age-related degeneration in the nigrostriatal track is similar in humans and rats, which supports the use of this animal in models to evaluate the effect of aging on the dopaminergic system. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PATIENT CARE: Our findings indicate that age-related degeneration in the nigrostriatal track is similar in humans and rats and that these changes can be monitored in vivo using small animal SPECT with [(123)I]FP-CIT, which could facilitate the translational research in rat models of age related disorders of dopaminergic system.
Authors: Seunghyeon Shin; Hyun-Yeol Nam; Myung Jun Lee; Kyoungjune Pak; Keunyoung Kim; In Joo Kim Journal: Ann Nucl Med Date: 2020-10-14 Impact factor: 2.668