Postnatal
Development of Energy Metabolism in the Rat Brain
M. KALOUS1,2, H. RAUCHOVÁ1, Z. DRAHOTA1
1Center for
Experimental Cardiovascular Research, Institute
of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech
Republic, and 2Department
of Animal Physiology and Developmental Biology,
Faculty of Sciences, Charles University, Prague,
Czech Republic
Received
April 18, 2000
Accepted October 5, 2000
Summary
The
activities of cytochrome c oxidase and
FoF1-ATPase as well as the content of cytochromes
cc1, aa3, and b were investigated in free brain
mitochondria in the course of postnatal
development and aging. The results show an
increase of Vmax of both enzymes during postnatal
development (between day 5 and 30). During the
following phase ending at the age of 6 months, a
decrease of FoF1-ATPase and cytochrome c oxidase
activity occurs. From 6 to 12 months of age the
activity of these enzymes did not change. The KM
for both enzymes remained unchanged during the
whole period observed. The content of cytochromes
increased from the low values found in young
rats, reached the highest values at around one
month, and decreased till the age of 3 months.
Later, their content in brain mitochondria did
not markedly change. Our results suggest that the
metabolic maturation of brain mitochondria
differs in several aspects from the same process
in other tissues, mainly in the time course. This
is probably due to the unique role of neural
tissue in the organism.
Key
words
Brain
mitochondria · Energy metabolism · Cytochrome c
oxidase · Cytochromes · FoF1-ATPase
Reprint
requests
Dr. M. Kalous, Department of Animal Physiology
and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Sciences,
Charles University, 128 00 Prague 2, Viničná 7,
Czech Republic.
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