Total Nuclear Protein Levels in Old Rats - Research Paper Example

Previous studies have shown that nuclear proteins in rats decrease with increasing age. For example, a certain study revealed that there was a decrease in the production of signaling proteins such as Akt kinase in aging rats in spite of the absence of any damage in the renal cells. Also, there was a reduction in the activity of Ras, p34cdc2 due to damage in the renal tissue (Laks, 2011). It has also been found out that the mRNA level, the binding activity of DNA, and the nuclear protein in the cortex and medulla of old rats decrease with age. A study has also shown that with age, there is an increase in the amount of Sirt1 protein extracts available in the kidney, liver, heart, and lungs. However, the activity per molecule of this protein decreases with increasing age in rats. This suggests that there are fewer active protein molecules in aged animals. (Martha, 2007)

The key factor that has been associated with a decrease in the nuclear proteins of the medulla and cortex of the kidney is the increase of oxidative DNA damage. It is estimated that at least 5000 breakages of single DNA strands occur during a single cycle due to ROS production. This results in the accumulation of unrepaired DNA damage that is induced by ROS (Rothman, 2008). This in turn leads to induction or arrest of transcription, replication errors. Thus from this experiment, it is clear that, with aging in rats, there is induced damage to nuclear proteins due to increased induction of oxidative stress.

Aging in rats is associated with a decrease in the expression of renal klotho protein and this explains why there is kidney damage with age. Older rats moreover experience kidney damage that is associated with a decrease in MnSOD expression in the kidney (Ashton, 2012). This occurs in both the medulla and the cortex.

Discussion of unusual or unexpected findings and what they mean:
This experiment was conducted using the cortex and the medulla of three months and twenty-two months old rats and the results were obtained. Their nuclear protein levels in the cortex and the medulla were then compared in relation to their ages. The results showed that there was an increase in the nuclear proteins of both the medulla and the cortex with the increasing age of rats. The findings will then be considered abnormal due to different reasons. These include

• Inappropriate volumes might have been used or there was a poor evaluation of the results in the laboratory. A high concentration of solution such as NaCl increases the number of proteins in the medulla. The content of proteins in a rat’s medulla can be high due to osmosis

Future research:
The study should include also try to determine the effects of other factors such as oxygen tension and urea level. This study should develop an argument about the role of nuclear protein in the cortex and medulla of the old kidneys. Further studies are needed to reveal the importance of total and individual nuclear proteins in different zones of the old kidney. The study should be carried out on different parts of the kidney since the protein levels differ in various parts due to different on size of renal collecting tubes proliferation. Read More