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Age related changes in metabolite concentrations in the normal spinal cord.

ABSTRACT: Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) studies have previously described metabolite changes associated with aging of the healthy brain and provided insights into normal brain aging that can assist us in differentiating age-related changes from those associated with neurological disease. The present study investigates whether age-related changes in metabolite concentrations occur in the healthy cervical spinal cord. 25 healthy volunteers, aged 23-65 years, underwent conventional imaging and single-voxel MRS of the upper cervical cord using an optimised point resolved spectroscopy sequence on a 3T Achieva system. Metabolite concentrations normalised to unsuppressed water were quantified using LCModel and associations between age and spinal cord metabolite concentrations were examined using multiple regressions. A linear decline in total N-Acetyl-aspartate concentration (0.049 mmol/L lower per additional year of age, p?=?0.010) and Glutamate-Glutamine concentration (0.054 mmol/L lower per additional year of age, p?=?0.002) was seen within our sample age range, starting in the early twenties. The findings suggest that neuroaxonal loss and/or metabolic neuronal dysfunction, and decline in glutamate-glutamine neurotransmitter pool progress with aging.

SUBMITTER: Abdel-Aziz K

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4195602 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Age related changes in metabolite concentrations in the normal spinal cord.

Abdel-Aziz Khaled K Solanky Bhavana S BS Yiannakas Marios C MC Altmann Daniel R DR Wheeler-Kingshott Claudia A M CA Thompson Alan J AJ Ciccarelli Olga O

PloS one 20141013 10

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) studies have previously described metabolite changes associated with aging of the healthy brain and provided insights into normal brain aging that can assist us in differentiating age-related changes from those associated with neurological disease. The present study investigates whether age-related changes in metabolite concentrations occur in the healthy cervical spinal cord. 25 healthy volunteers, aged 23-65 years, underwent conventional imaging and single ...[more]

PMID: 25310093

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Project description:BACKGROUND:Cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis (CTX) and Lathosterolosis represent two treatable inherited disorders of cholesterol metabolism that are characterized by the accumulation of cholestanol and lathosterol, respectively. The age of the patients suspected of having these disorders is highly variable due to the very different phenotypes. The early diagnosis of these disorders is important because specific therapeutic treatment could prevent the disease progression. The biochemical diagnosis of these defects is generally performed analyzing the sterol profile. Since age-related levels of these sterols are lacking, this study aims to determine a preliminary comparison of plasma levels of cholestanol and lathosterol among Italian unaffected newborns, children and healthy adults. METHODS:The sterols were extracted from 130 plasma samples (24 newborns, 33 children and 73 adults) by a liquid-liquid separation method and quantified by gas chromatography coupled with a flame ionization detector. RESULTS:Cholesterol, cholestanol and lathosterol levels together with the cholestanol/cholesterol and lathosterol/cholesterol ratios are statistically different among the three groups. Cholesterol levels progressively increased from newborns to children and to adults, whereas cholestanol/cholesterol and cholestanol/lathosterol ratios progressively decreased from newborns to children and to adults. Lathosterol levels were higher in adults than in both newborns and children. In the total population a positive correlation was observed between cholesterol levels and both cholestanol (correlation coefficient = 0.290, p = 0.001) and lathosterol levels (correlation coefficient = 0.353, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS:Although this study can only be considered an explorative experience due to the low number of analyzed samples, we revealed several differences of plasma cholestanol and lathosterol levels and their ratios to cholesterol levels among newborns, children and adults. These evidences indicate the need of age-related reference values of cholestanol and lathosterol concentrations, including also newborns and children.

Dataset Information

Age related changes in metabolite concentrations in the normal spinal cord.

Publications

Age related changes in metabolite concentrations in the normal spinal cord.

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