AJP - Endocrinology and Metabolism, Vol 252, Issue 6 E762-E764, Copyright © 1987 by American Physiological Society

ARTICLES

A decline in myocardial and hepatic norepinephrine turnover with age in Fischer 344 rats

R. S. Mazzeo and S. M. Horvath

The purpose of the present study was to determine any age-related alterations in norepinephrine (NE) turnover rate in various tissues of the Fischer 344 rats. Female rats ages 3, 12, and 22 mo were given an intraperitoneal injection of alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine, a known inhibitor of tyrosine hydroxylase. NE turnover was determined mathematically by monitoring the exponential decline of tissues levels over 7 h. Cardiac NE turnover rates averaged 38.4, 31.4, and 25.2 ng X g-1 X h-1 for the 3-, 12-, and 22-mo-old age groups, respectively. A similar trend was found for the liver NE turnover rates (12.9, 9.2, and 6.8 ng X g-1 X h-1 for 3-, 12-, and 22-mo-old groups, respectively). It was concluded that the reduced catecholamine content seen in various tissues with advancing age can be explained, in part, by a diminished ability for catecholamine synthesis.

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