Phospholipids (PL) are important structural components of the cell membranes and also major precursors of bioactive metabolites, which take part in phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase signal pathway. Human and animal aging is associated with alterations of PL turnover, that causes the development of insulin resistance and diabetes mellitus type 2. Since tricyclic antidepressants are able to modulate PL metabolism, therefore the purpose of this study was research influence of melipramin on age-associated PL content differences in skeletal muscle and serum of rats. This study was carried out on male Wistar rats (3- and 24-month old rats. Old experimental rats were treated with melipramin (intramuscularly, 10 mg/kg, 14 days), control rats — 0.9% NaCl. Lipids were extracted by Bligh and Dyer method, PL were fractionated by one-dimensional rising thin layer chromatography. The quantitative content of PL was measured by March and Weinstein method, of protein — by Lowry method. It has been shown that PL content was significantly reduced in skeletal muscle and serum with aging. This problem was caused by PL biosynthesis decrease and enhancement of its degradation. However the melipramin has reversed age-associated PL content differences (in old animals), which is likely due to inhibition of lysosomal phospholipases activity and transport by melipramin. Thereby, melipramin is an effective modulator of PL content in different morphofunctional tissue types of old animals.
