Lab Anim Res.  2018 Jun;34(2):58-64. 10.5625/lar.2018.34.2.58.

Decrease in glucose transporter 1 levels and translocation of glucose transporter 3 in the dentate gyrus of C57BL/6 mice and gerbils with aging

• Lee KY
• Yoo DY
• Jung HY
• Baek L
• Lee H
• Kwon HJ
• Chung JY
• Kang SH
• Kim DW
• Hwang IK
• Choi JH

• KMID: 2413844
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5625/lar.2018.34.2.58

Abstract

In the present study, we compared the cell-specific expression and changes protein levels in the glucose transporters (GLUTs) 1 and 3, the major GLUTs in the mouse and gerbil brains using immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis. In both mouse and gerbils, GLUT1 immunoreactivity was mainly found in the blood vessels in the dentate gyrus, while GLUT3 immunoreactivity was detected in the subgranular zone and the molecular layer of the dentate gyrus. GLUT1-immunoreactivity in blood vessels and GLUT1 protein levels were significantly decreased with age in the mice and gerbils, respectively. In addition, few GLUT3-immunoreactive cells were found in the subgranular zone in aged mice and gerbils, but GLUT3-immunoreactivity was abundantly found in the polymorphic layer of dentate gyrus in mice and gerbils with a dot-like pattern. Based on the double immunofluorescence study, GLUT3-immunoreactive structures in gerbils were localized in the glial fibrillary acidic protein-immunoreactive astrocytes in the dentate gyrus. Western blot analysis showed that GLUT3 expression in the hippocampal homogenates was slightly, although not significantly, decreased with age in mice and gerbils, respectively. These results indicate that the reduction in GLUT1 in the blood vessels of dentate gyrus and GLUT3 in the subgranular zone of dentate gyrus may be associated with the decrease in uptake of glucose into brain and neuroblasts in the dentate gyrus. In addition, the expression of GLUT3 in the astrocytes in polymorphic layer of dentate gyrus may be associated with metabolic changes in glucose in aged hippocampus.

Keyword

Glucose transporter; aging; dentate gyrus; neuroblasts; blood vessels; astrocytes

MeSH Terms

Aging*
Animals
Astrocytes
Blood Vessels
Blotting, Western
Brain
Dentate Gyrus*
Fluorescent Antibody Technique
Gerbillinae*
Glucose Transport Proteins, Facilitative*
Glucose Transporter Type 1
Glucose*
Hippocampus
Immunohistochemistry
Mice*
Glucose
Glucose Transport Proteins, Facilitative
Glucose Transporter Type 1

Figure

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  Figure 1 Immunohistochemistry for GLUT1 in the dentate gyrus of mice (A, B, and C) and gerbils (D, E, and F) at postnatal month 4 (PM4, A and D), PM18 (B and E), and PM24 (C and F). GLUT1 immunoreactivity is found in the blood vessel-like structures in the hippocampus. Note that GLUT1-immunoreactive structures are decreased with age in both rodents. Scale bar=50 µm. ML, molecular layer; GCL, granule cell layer; PL, polymorphic layer; SGZ, subgranular zone.

• 

  Figure 2 Immunohistochemistry for GLUT3 in the dentate gyrus of mice (A, B, and C) and gerbils (D, E, and F) at postnatal month 4 (PM4, A and D), PM18 (B and E), and PM24 (C and F). In the mice and gerbils at PM4, GLUT3 immunoreactivity is mainly observed in the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus. GLUT3 immunoreactive structures are less abundant in the dentate gyrus at PM18 and GLUT3 immunoreactivity at PM24 is observed as a dot-like pattern in the PL of dentate gyrus. Scale bar=50 µm. (G-J) Double immunofluorescence staining for GLUT3 (green, G) and GFAP (red, H) (and merged images [yellow, I]) in the dentate gyrus of gerbils at PM24. Note that some of the GLUT3 immunoreactivity is found in the GFAP-immunoreactive astrocytes as shown in magnified orthogonal image (J) at PM24. Scale bar=50 µm. ML, molecular layer; GCL, granule cell layer; PL, polymorphic layer; SGZ, subgranular zone.

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  Figure 3 Western blot analysis results are expressed as a percentage of the value of the GLUT1 and GLUT3 immunoblot band in the gerbils at postnatal month 4 (PM4), PM18, and PM24 (n=5 per group; *P<0.05, significantly different from the PM4 group; #P<0.05, significantly different from the PM18 group). The values are expressed as mean±SEM.

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