title: Superoxide dismutase activity in the Spanish population.
abstract: Superoxide dismutase is an enzyme that catalyzes the dismutation of superoxide radicals to hydrogen peroxide and molecular oxygen. This superoxide radical is produced by all aerobic cells as a normal metabolic intermediate of molecular oxygen, and is dangerous for the cell because it induces the inactivation of various enzymes, lipid peroxidation and mutations. Superoxide dismutase can therefore be considered as a protective enzyme. The purpose of this work was to determine the level of superoxide dismutase activity in the Spanish population, and to study the factors that influence this activity. The superoxide dismutase activity of 2397 individuals was determined using the method described by Minami and Yoshikawa. The superoxide dismutase activity level in the adult Spanish population was found to be 4.16 +/- 0.89 Units/ml of blood. No significant variations with respect to sex were detected. But it was observed that the superoxide dismutase activity level was 9% higher in the young urban Spanish population.
authors.affiliation: U.E.I. de Citogenética del Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: De la Torre
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Casado
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: López-Fernández
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000201:enzymology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012424:Rural Population; D013030:Spain / Q000208:ethnology; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000097:blood*; D014505:Urban Population
chemical_list: D013482:Superoxide Dismutase