Glutathione metabolism in heart and liver of the aging rat.
A comprehensive study on glutathione metabolism in rat heart and liver as a function of age was performed. In the heart, reduced glutathione, total glutathione, and the glutathione redox index showed a decrease during aging, while oxidized glutathione levels increased in 5-month-old rats with respect to the young animals and remained quite constant in 14- and 27-month-old rats. In the liver, the highest levels of reduced glutathione were found in the 2-month-old rats, while oxidized glutathione reached a peak at 5 months. Glutathione-associated enzymes showed age-related changes. Glutathione peroxidase, unaffected by aging in the heart, decreased in the liver of the 27-month-old rats. In the heart and the liver, the highest values of glutathione S-transferase were found at 5 months and 27 months, respectively. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase followed a similar trend in both heart and liver. Glutathione reductase also showed the same behaviour in heart and in liver, increasing in old rats with respect to the other age groups. A decrease in gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase was found in the heart and liver of 27-month-old rats in comparison with the 2-month-old ones. In conclusion, a decreased antioxidant capability has been demonstrated in both heart and liver of old rats.
Stio
M
M
Department of Biochemical Sciences, University of Florence, Italy.
Iantomasi
T
T
Favilli
F
F
Marraccini
P
P
Lunghi
B
B
Vincenzini
M T
MT
Treves
C
C
D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D005954:Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D005721:Glutamate-Cysteine Ligase / Q000378:metabolism; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism*; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D005980:Glutathione Reductase / Q000378:metabolism; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D005954:Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D005980:Glutathione Reductase; D005982:Glutathione Transferase; D005721:Glutamate-Cysteine Ligase; D005978:Glutathione