Reduced density of dopamine D2 receptors in the rat tail artery as a function of age

Effects of age and streptozotocin-induced diabetes on biogenic amines in rat tail artery

The changes in amine concentrations in different segments of the rat tail artery have been investigated at different ages and after different durations of streptozotocin-induced diabetes. There was a significant positive slope to the relationship between amine concentrations and age in proximal portion of the normal tail artery, and a significant additional increase in amine concentrations following induction of diabetes. The peak of the latter response occurred between 10 and 20 weeks following the induction of diabetes. There was also a significant dependence on the length of the post-ganglionic neurones, which may be related to the failure of axonal transport of some of the essential enzymes or transporters for these biogenic amines. This model of altered catecholamine metabolism and handling requires further investigation so that alterations in the mechanisms involved in processing of these amines in diabetic autonomic neuropathy may be elucidated.

Age-related changes of dopamine receptor protein immunoreactivity in the rat mesenteric vascular tree

Dopamine D1-D5 receptor protein immunoreactivity and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunoreactivity were investigated on the mesenteric arterial tree by immunohistochemistry. The density of various dopamine receptors and TH immunoreactivity was compared between young (6-month-old), adult (15-month-old) and senescent (24-month-old) Fischer 344 rats by computer-assisted microdensitometry. The dopamine D1-like (D1 and D5) receptors were localized on the tunica media of different sized mesenteric artery branches. The D2-like (D2, D3 and D4) receptors as well as TH immunoreactivity were localized only on the adventitia-media transitional zone of mesenteric arterial tree. Expression of the D1 and D5 receptors was decreased in both adult and senescent rats compared to the young rats, suggesting an age-related decline in these receptors. Of the D2-like receptors, the expression of the D2 receptor was decreased as a function of age, while the D3 receptor was unchanged in the senescent rats compared to the young rats. Expression of the D4 receptor was increased in adult, but was unchanged in the senescent rats compared to young animals. TH immunoreactivity was increased as a function of age. The above data suggest that reduction in the D1, D2 and D5 receptor expression may contribute to the deficiency in the dopamine-mediated vasorelaxation and hence blood flow in the mesenteric vascular tree in aging. The different sensitivity to aging of sympathetic neuroeffector junctions labeled by TH and of dopamine D2-like receptors that are known to be prejunctional, suggests that age-related changes of dopamine receptor expression in the mesenteric vasculature reflect more complicated mechanisms than simple up- or down-regulation phenomena.

Tail pinch induces fos immunoreactivity within several regions of the male rat brain: effects of age

Brief, intermittent stressors, such as low-level foot shock or tail pinch, induce a general excitement and autonomic arousal in rats that increases their sensitivity to external incentives. Such stimulation can facilitate a variety of behaviors, including feeding, aggression, sexual activity, parental behavior, and drug taking if the appropriate stimuli exist in the environment. However, the ability of tail pinch to induce general arousal and incentive motivation appears to diminish with age. Here we report on the ability of tail pinch to induce Fos immunoreactivity within several brain regions as a function of age. Young (2-3 months) and middle-aged (12-13 months) male rats were administered either five tail pinches (one every 2 min), one tail pinch, or zero (sham) tail pinches (n = 4 per stimulation condition). Rats were sacrificed 75 min following the onset of stimulation, and their brains were prepared for immunocytochemical detection of Fos protein. Fos immunoreactivity was induced by one and five tail pinches in several brain regions, including the anterior medial preoptic area (mPOA), paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN), paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PV-Thal), medial amygdala (MEA), basolateral amygdala (BLA), lateral habenula (LHab), and ventral tegmental area (VTA), of young rats compared with those that received zero tail pinches. In contrast to young rats, middle-aged rats had significantly less Fos induced by one and five tail pinches in the mPOA, PVN, MEA, BLA, and VTA, but an equivalent amount induced in the LHab. Fos immunoreactivity was not found within the medial prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, striatum, lateral septum, or locus coeruleus in either young or old rats. Tail pinch appears to activate regions of the brain known to be involved in behavioral responses to both incentive cues and stressors. The lower level of cellular reactivity to tail pinch in middle-aged rats suggests a diminished neural responsiveness to incentives and stressors.