Effects of aging and of physical activity upon autophagy in hippocampus, substantia nigra and locus coeruleus

• Grant number: 16/20109-5
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): March 01, 2017
• Effective date (End): July 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Morphology - Cytology and Cell Biology
• Principal researcher: Merari de Fátima Ramires Ferrari
• Grantee: Natália Fagundes Borges Teruel
• Home Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Neurodegenerative processes are closely associated with aging. Biomolecular changes that accompany the aging process induce protein deposits related to diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. In addition, practice of moderate physical activity may ameliorate neurodegeneration. The analysis of the expression of proteins associated with autophagy Beclin-1, P62, HDAC6, LC3-I and LC3-II, Pink-1, Parkin and Miro-1, using Western Blotting technique, in hippocampus, substantia nigra and locus coeruleus tissues from 2 months old and 11 months old male Lewis rats, these last ones submitted or not to treadmill running, seeks a better understanding of the relation between aging and neurodegeneration. (AU)