Regional expression differences of SERT and TSPAN8 in hippocampus, cerebellum and cortex of wild-type young, adult and middle-aged rats

•Functions of the brain is performed by the precise regulation of gene expression throughout its diverse structure.•SERT protein is important for the regulation of serotonin levels in the brain, that controls serotonergic neurotransmission.•Tspan8 is localized on chromosome 12 and besides known roles in tumor biology, it is also linked to psychologic diseases. Changes in gene expression with aging are associated with a decline in physical and cognitive abilities. Here, we investigated the changes in mRNA and protein expression of TSPAN8 and SERT in the different parts of the brain for different age group rats. Our protein analysis revealed that aging mainly triggers SERT gene expression in the cerebellum and hippocampus, showing that an increase in mRNA expression correlates with protein expression. For TSPAN8, age-dependent protein increase was observed in the hippocampus and highest expression was observed for adult and middle-aged rats.