Inhibitors of Lysosomal Enzymes: Accumulation of Lipofuscin-Like Dense Bodies in the Brain

Injections of leupeptin (a thiol proteinase inhibitor) or chloroquine (a general lysosomal enzyme inhibitor) into the brains of young rats induced the formation of lysosome-associated granular aggregates (dense bodies) which closely resembled the ceroid-lipofuscin that accumulates in certain disease states and during aging. The dense material increased in a dose- and time-dependent fashion and was differentially distributed across brain regions and cell types. These observations provide clues to the origins of ceroid-lipofuscin and suggest means for studying the consequences of its accumulation.