Age- and gender-related variations in the activities of drug-metabolizing and antioxidant enzymes in the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus).
The effects of aging on the activities of drug-metabolizing enzymes and antioxidant enzymes were studied in male and female White-Footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) at ages of 6, 8, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, and 48 months. Male mice had significantly higher liver microsomal cytochrome P450 (P450) content and NADPH:cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase (P450 reductase) activities than females at all age groups. Many of the P450-dependent enzyme activities were also generally higher in males. Female mice showed age-dependent decreases in P450 content and the activities of P450 reductase, pentoxyresorufin O-dealkylase (PROD) and N-nitrosodimethylamine demethylase (NDMAd) in the liver from 6 to 24 months; while, the males showed an age-dependent decrease only for the liver PROD activity from 6 to 24 months. The old males (30-month old) appeared to have significantly higher activities for 6 beta-, 2 beta-, 16 alpha- and 16 beta-testosterone and androstenedione formation than the middle-aged (6- to 18-month old) and very old (48-month old) males. Females showed age-dependent decreases for the formation of 6 beta-, 2 beta-, 16 alpha- and 16 beta-testosterone in liver microsomes from 6 to 24 months. Lung microsomes from 6- and 8-month old males had much higher activities of ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) and PROD than older males. The total NNK alpha-hydroxylation activities changed in the same pattern as lung microsomal EROD and PROD activities in both male and female mice. The activities of several phase II drug-metabolizing enzymes: glutathione S-transferase (GST), DT-diaphorase, sulfotransferase and UDP-glucuronosyl-transferase (UDPGT) did not show any significant age-dependent changes, with the possible exception that the GST activity in males decreased from 18 to 36 months. Males had about 3-fold higher UDPGT activities than females among all age groups. Glutathione peroxidase activities were drastically lower in old and very old males, and 6 to 24 months old males had significantly higher activities than the corresponding females. In females, superoxide dismutase activities decreased linearly to extremely low levels as mice aged. Catalase activities showed a tendency for increase with age in males. In conclusion, some P450-dependent activities and antioxidant enzymes, but not phase II drug-metabolizing enzymes, showed age-dependent changes; and most of these changes occur from 6 to 24 months. The demographic attributes of the White-Footed mouse are well-suited for physiological and biochemical studies of aging and can complement the more standard laboratory mouse model with its typical two year life span.
Laboratory for Cancer Research, College of Pharmacy, Rutgers University Piscataway, NJ 08855.
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Guo
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Wang
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Tian
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Burger
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Gochfeld
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Yang
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D004798:Enzymes / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology; D008168:Lung / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008954:Models, Biological; D010542:Peromyscus; D012737:Sex Factors
D004798:Enzymes