AGE-RELATED-CHANGES IN BARRIER FUNCTION IN MOUSE-BRAIN .2. ACCUMULATION OF SERUM-ALBUMIN IN THE OLFACTORY-BULB OF SAM MICE INCREASED WITH AGING

Brain transfer rate (BTR) and brain to plasma concentration ratio (BPC R) of radiolabelied human serum albumin injected intravenously were ca lculated to evaluate the brain transfer of serum albumin in the cerebr al cortex, the right hemi-brain and the olfactory bulb of senescence a ccelerated prone mice (SAMP8) and senescence accelerated resistant mic e (SAMR1). BTR and BPCR in SAMP8 and SAMR1 were significantly higher i n the olfactory bulb than in the cerebral cortex or the right hemi-bra in. Age-related significant changes in BTR and BPCR were observed in t he olfactory bulb of SAMP8 and SAMR1. These findings suggest that the barrier function to serum albumin in the olfactory bulb of SAMP8 and S AMR1 is not so tight as it is in the cerebral cortex and becomes weake r with age and that the age-related changes are manifested at a younge r age in SAMP8 than in SAMR1. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.