The aging human orbitofrontal cortex: decreasing polyunsaturated fatty acid composition and associated increases in lipogenic gene expression and stearoyl-CoA desaturase activity.

ABSTRACT: Orbitofrontal cortex (OFC, Brodmann area 10) gray matter volume reductions and selective reductions in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) are observed in adult patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). OFC gray matter volume also decreases with advancing age in healthy subjects. To examine if OFC gray matter DHA composition decreases during normal aging, we determined age-related changes in OFC gray matter fatty acid composition by gas chromatography in subjects aged 29-80 years (n=30). We additionally determined elongase (HELO1), delta-5 desaturase (FASD1), delta-6 desaturase (FASD2), peroxisomal (PEX19), and stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) mRNA expression in the same tissues. Increasing age was associated with a progressive decline in polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) composition, in

SUBMITTER: McNamara RK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2494852 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Apr-May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature