Neurobiology of aging

Lower levels of melatonin receptors in the brain's internal clock with aging and Alzheimer's disease

Circadian Biology Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Updated

Abstract

The number and density of MT1 melatonin receptor-expressing neurons in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) were decreased in aged controls compared to young controls.

  • No changes were observed in the number and density of vasopressin (AVP) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) expressing neurons in the SCN across aging.
  • In the late stages of Alzheimer's disease (Braak stages V-VI), both MT1-expressing neurons and AVP/VIP-expressing neurons were significantly reduced compared to aged controls.
  • In contrast, changes in MT1-expressing neurons were not evident in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease (Braak stages I-II).
  • These findings suggest that melatonin's influence on the SCN may be impaired during aging and more severely in advanced Alzheimer's disease.

Simplified

Full Text

Full text is available at the source.
View Full Text ↗

Related papers

Mar '07
Disruptions and ways to restore the body’s internal clock in aging and Alzheimer’s disease
top 20% journal
cited by 227 papers
research support, non-u.s. gov't
Jan '13
Changes in Melatonin Receptors in the Brain’s Internal Clock Area During Depression
top 5% journal
cited by 110 papers
research support, non-u.s. gov't
Oct '06
Locations of MT1 Melatonin Receptors in Human Hypothalamus and Pituitary and Their Overlap with Vasopressin, Oxytocin, and Stress Hormones
top 20% journal
cited by 134 papers
research support, non-u.s. gov't
Feb '05
The human pineal gland and melatonin levels in aging and Alzheimer's disease
top 5% journal
cited by 293 papers
research support, non-u.s. gov't
Aug '05
Daily patterns of two brain chemicals in the internal clock of mouse lemurs show age-related changes in time-keeping neurons
top 20% journal
cited by 39 papers
comparative study
Jun '04
Presence of VIP and PACAP receptor messages in peptide-producing cells of the rat's body clock and its output areas
top 20% journal
cited by 59 papers
research support, non-u.s. gov't
Jan '07
Melatonin receptors in the pineal gland and thinking areas are reduced in Alzheimer's disease
cited by 37 papers
journal article
Apr '96
Detailed study of the human brain’s internal body clock center using cell markers and shape measurements
cited by 24 papers
journal article
Sep '04
Timed calorie restriction changes production of key signaling molecules in the brain's biological clock
top 20% journal
cited by 14 papers
comparative study
May '06
How Aging Affects the Body’s Internal Clock and Daily Behavior in Primates
top 30% journal
cited by 56 papers
research support, non-u.s. gov't

What Lands in Your Inbox Each Week:

  • 📚7 fresh studies
  • 📝plain-language summaries
  • ✅direct links to original studies
  • 🏅top journal indicators
  • 📅weekly delivery
  • 🧘‍♂️always free

Recent issues from the circadian biology brief

issue #50
Afternoon workouts beat morning sessions for fat loss — and your genes may explain why
6 days ago7 studies
issue #49
Your body clock controls which drugs work — and a protein called gp78 is why
1 week ago7 studies
issue #48
A blood test can now estimate your internal clock time using just 60 proteins
2 weeks ago7 studies
issue #47
Your body clock controls liver fibrosis — and scientists just found the on/off switch
3 weeks ago7 studies
issue #46
Night shift workers' metabolomes fall out of sync — and glucose pays the price
4 weeks ago7 studies
issue #45
80% of FDA-approved drug targets show clock-dependent activity — timing may be everything
5 weeks ago7 studies
issue #44
Sleeping late on weekends is independently linked to higher cardiovascular disease risk
6 weeks ago7 studies
issue #43
A smartphone app cut mood episode recurrence 3.4x in people with depression and bipolar disorder
7 weeks ago7 studies
issue #42
Morning cancer immunotherapy linked to 49% vs 40% disease control rate in 969 patients
8 weeks ago7 studies
issue #41
Timing cancer treatment before 3pm nearly doubled survival in lung cancer patients
9 weeks ago7 studies
explore the archive
See more issues from the circadian biology brief