Oxidative stress and advancing age: results in healthy centenarians.
OBJECTIVE
Our study aims at investigating the degree of oxidative stress in centenarians


METHODS
Indices of oxidative stress (reaction products of malondialdehyde with thiobarbituric acid (TBARS) and lipid hydroperoxides (LPO)), and plasma concentrations of antioxidant defenses (plasma vitamin E and C concentrations and reduced/oxidized glutathione ratio (GSH/GSSG)) were determined.


METHODS
Eighty-two subjects volunteered for the study. They were divided into three groups: (1) adults (<50 years of age, n=30); (2) aged subjects (70-99 years, n=30); (3) centenarians (age > or=100 years, n=22).


METHODS
TBARS and LPO, plasma vitamin E and C concentrations, and plasma GSH/GSSG ratio were determined. Insulin action was assessed by euglycemic hyperinsulinemic glucose clamp.


RESULTS
TBARS (0.44+/-0.07 vs 0.31+/-.05 nmol malondialdehyde/mL plasma, P=.020) and LPO (0.36+/-0.05 vs 0.31+/-.04 micromol/L, P=.050) were lower in centenarians than in aged subjects. In contrast, plasma GSH/GSSG ratio (0.82+/-0.09 vs 1.17+/-.06, P=.010), vitamin C (72.3+/-4.6 vs 59.4+/-3.8 micromol/L P=.010), and vitamin E (29.1+/-2.2 vs 24.4+/-2.3 micromol/L P=.050) concentrations were more elevated in centenarians than in aged subjects. Differences in daily vegetable intake, in fasting plasma glucose and free fatty acid (FFA) concentrations, and in insulin action are significant determinants of degree of oxidative stress. A specific genetic background in centenarians might also provide a possible explanation.


CONCLUSIONS
The degree of oxidative stress is lower in healthy centenarians than in aged subjects.
Department of Geriatric Medicine and Metabolic Diseases-II, University of Naples, Italy.
G
G
Paolisso
M R
MR
Tagliamonte
M R
MR
Rizzo
D
D
Manzella
A
A
Gambardella
M
M
Varricchio
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over / Q000502:physiology*; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000886:Anthropometry; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D005215:Fasting / Q000097:blood; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology*; D012016:Reference Values
D001786:Blood Glucose; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified