Investigation of age-related changes in lipid levels in the brain and liver tissues extracts of male wistar rats: extraction, separation, qualitative and quantitative determination

Physiological aging encompasses progressive changes in an organism which results in a decrease in organ function and an increase in the risk of mortality over time. This innate phenomenon engages several cellular components including lipids. Determining the influence of different ages on the amounts of these lipids is a mean to better understanding of their role in physiological aging. Male wistar rats were utilized to investigate the effect of age on these lipids. The results demonstrated an increase in free fatty acids, diaceylglicerol, ceramide and sphingomyline and a decrease in phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylethanolamine in the liver and/or brain of 24 months old rats when compared to 3 months old. The changes in lipids were possibly due to the consequence of alteration in metabolic pathways where diaceylglicerol increased as a result of this precursor's accumulation and lack of its utilization in the de novo synthesis of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine. Also, the increase in ceramide and sphingomyline levels was plausibly due to an increase in degradation of sphingolipids such as glucosylceramide. The results revealed possible metabolic pathways implicated in diaceylglicerol and ceramide accumulation during different ages, thus the potential involvement of these lipids in some age related pathologies.