Calcium Increase in the Mammillary Bodies with Aging

Abstract

To elucidate compositional changes of the mammillary body with aging, the authors investigated age-related changes of elements, relationships among their elements, and gender differences in the mammillary bodies by direct chemical analysis. After ordinary dissection at Nara Medical University was finished, the mammillary bodies were resected from the cerebra of the subjects. The subjects consisted of 19 men and 25 women, ranging in age from 70 to 101 years (average age = 83.8 +/- 7.2 years). After ashing of the mammillary bodies with nitric acid and perchloric acid, element contents were determined by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry. It was found that the Ca content increased slightly and significantly in the mammillary bodies with aging, but the P, S, Mg, Zn, Fe, and Na contents did not change significantly with aging. Regarding the relationships among elements, significant correlations were found among the contents of Ca, P, S, and Mg in the mammillary bodies, with one exception between P and Mg contents. With regard to the seven element contents, no significant gender differences were found in the mammillary bodies.

Age-Related Changes of Elements and Relationships Among Elements in Human Hippocampus, Dentate Gyrus, and Fornix

“…Therefore, the authors examined in detail the differences in the average contents of P, Zn, and Na between the gray and white matters, including the anterior commissure, corpus callosum, mammillary body, olfactory bulb and tract, and pineal body analyzed previously by us. The average contents of P were 5.14± 0.97 mg/g in the fornix, 7.67±1.33 mg/g in the corpus callosum (trunk) [1], and 5.51± 1.04 mg/g in the anterior commissure [2] of the white matter and 3.33±1.09 mg/g in the hippocampus, 2.67±0.87 mg/g in the dentate gyrus, 3.20±0.86 mg/g in the mammillary body [5], 2.11±0.79 mg/g in the olfactory bulb and tract [4], and 28.79±32.88 mg/g in the pineal body [3]. Namely, the average content of P was higher than 5.1 mg/g in all of three white matters, whereas the average content of P was less than 3.3 mg/g in all of four gray matters except for the pineal body.…”

“…The authors previously investigated age-related changes of elements in the corpora callosa [1] and anterior commissures [2] of the white matter and the pineal bodies [3], olfactory bulbs and tracts [4], and mammillary bodies [5] of the gray matter. It was found that a very high accumulation of Ca and P occurred in the pineal body at old age.…”

“…Comparison in Elements with Significant Correlation Among Eight Brain Regions Table 5 indicates elements with significant correlation in the corpus callosum [1], anterior commissure [2], and fornix of the white matter and the pineal body [3], olfactory bulb and [4], mammillary body [5], hippocampus, and dentate gyrus of the gray matter. Significant correlations were found between Ca and P contents, between Ca and Mg contents, between P and Mg contents, and between Ca and Na contents in more than five out of the eight brain regions.…”

“…Pearson's correlation was used to analyze whether there were significant correlations in seven elements among the hippocampus, dentate gyrus, fornix, and mammillary body [5] which belonged to the limbic system. Table 6 indicates elements with significant correlation among the hippocampi, dentate gyri, fornices, and mammillary bodies.…”

Gender Differences in Elements of Human Anterior Commissure and Olfactory Bulb and Tract

“…To elucidate compositional changes of the brain with aging, the authors previously investigated age-related changes of elements in the corpus callosum [1] and anterior commissure [2] of the white matter and in the pineal body [3], olfactory bulb and tract [4], and mammillary body [5] of the gray matter.…”