BRAIN MONOAMINERGIC AND NEUROPEPTIDERGIC VARIATIONS IN HUMAN AGING

The effect of age on the monoamines 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), noradr enaline (NA) and dopamine (DA), their metabolites 5-hydroxyindoleaceti c acid (5-HIAA), homovanillic acid (HVA), 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic ac id (DOPAC), and the 5-HT precursor 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan (5-HTP), tog ether with the peptides neuropeptide Y (NPY), somatostatin (SOM), and corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), was studied in frontal cortex, g yrus cinguli and hypothalamus from 23 healthy control subjects, aged 1 6-75 years. After correcting for postmortem interval, significant decr eases in gyrus cinguli NA, NPY and CRF, and hypothalamic DA, HVA, and 5-HIAA concentrations were obtained with advancing age. The involvemen t of the monoaminergic system in several functional abnormalities appe aring in senescence is suggested. Furthermore, evidence is given of th e participation of the peptidergic systems in the aging process.