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Age-related decreases in SYN levels associated with increases in MAP-2, apoE, and GFAP levels in the rhesus macaque prefrontal cortex and hippocampus

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Abstract

Loss of synaptic integrity in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex (PFC) may play an integral role in age-related cognitive decline. Previously, we showed age-related increases in the dendritic marker microtubule associated protein 2 (MAP-2) and the synaptic marker synaptophysin (SYN) in mice. Similarly, apolipoprotein E (apoE), involved in lipid transport and metabolism, and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), a glia specific marker, increase with age in rodents. In this study, we assessed whether these four proteins show similar age-related changes in a nonhuman primate, the rhesus macaque. Free-floating sections from the PFC and hippocampus from adult, middle-aged, and aged rhesus macaques were immunohistochemically labeled for MAP-2, SYN, apoE, and GFAP. Protein levels were measured as area occupied by fluorescence using confocal microscopy as well as by Western blot. In the PFC and hippocampus of adult and middle-aged animals, the levels of SYN, apoE, and GFAP immunoreactivity were comparable but there was a trend towards higher MAP-2 levels in middle-aged than adult animals. There was significantly less SYN and more MAP-2, apoE, and GFAP immunoreactivity in the PFC and hippocampus of aged animals compared to adult or middle-aged animals. Thus, the age-related changes in MAP-2, apoE, and GFAP levels were similar to those previously observed in rodents. On the other hand, the age-related changes in SYN levels were not, but were similar to those previously observed in the aging human brain. Taken together, these data emphasize the value of the rhesus macaque as a pragmatic translational model for human brain aging.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Dominique Eghlidi and Sharon Kryger for their technical assistance. This work was supported by NIH Grants AG-023477, AG-029612, RR-000163, and an OHSU Tartar Fellowship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA

    Gwendolen E. Haley, Henryk F. Urbanski & Jacob Raber

  2. Division of Neuroscience, ONPRC, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, OR, 97006, USA

    Gwendolen E. Haley, Steven G. Kohama, Henryk F. Urbanski & Jacob Raber

  3. Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA

    Henryk F. Urbanski

  4. Department of Neurology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA

    Jacob Raber

  5. 3181 SW Sam Jackson Pkwy, Mail Code L-470, Portland, OR, 97239, USA

    Jacob Raber

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  1. Gwendolen E. Haley
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Haley, G.E., Kohama, S.G., Urbanski, H.F. et al. Age-related decreases in SYN levels associated with increases in MAP-2, apoE, and GFAP levels in the rhesus macaque prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. AGE 32, 283–296 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-010-9137-9

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