预印本：鼹鼠脑内随年龄累积神经黑色素，或解释实验室啮齿类缺乏色素
When longevity becomes chemistry: Why rodent brains lack neuromelanin
一项未经同行评审的 bioRxiv 预印本通过对不同年龄鼹鼠脑样本做组织学染色，报告鼹鼠在约两岁后出现随年龄增长的神经黑色素累积，色素水平最高见于蓝斑神经元。作者据此提出，神经黑色素累积是缓慢的动力学过程、需要较长寿命，小鼠和大鼠脑内缺乏色素可能只是因为寿命不够长以达到可检测水平。该研究为动物组织学观察，能否推广到其他物种及与帕金森病的关系仍需进一步验证。
Background: The biology of neuromelanin (NMel) is linked to Parkinson's disease, in which pigment accumulation and release contribute to dopaminergic cell loss. Rodent brains lack detectable levels of NMel, despite possessing the molecular machinery required for its synthesis. The basis for this absence remains unknown. Objectives: To determine whether long-living rodents accumulate NMel and to test whether lifespan constraints explain the lack of pigmentation in mice and rats. Methods: Histological stains were conducted in brain samples of mole rats of different ages to disclose the potential pigmentation of catecholaminergic centers and to determine the chemical phenotype of pigmented neurons. Results: Mole rats exhibited clear age-dependent NMel accumulation beginning after two years of age, with the highest pigmentation levels observed in neurons of the locus coeruleus. Conclusions: Accumulation of NMel is a slow kinetic process that requires extended longevity. Common laboratory rodents lack pigmented brains simply because they do not live long enough to reach detectable NMel levels.
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来源：bioRxiv · Neuroscience · biorxiv.org