Dietary antioxidant supplementation reverses age-related neuronal changes.
Evidence suggests that reactive oxygen species in brain may play a role in the development of age-related neuronal impairments, and that the increase in the concentration of the proinflammatory cytokine, interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), in aged brain tissue, may also be a contributory factor. In this study, we have analyzed changes in enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidant levels, in parallel with interleukin-1beta concentration, in cortical tissue prepared from young and aged rats. We report that there was an age-related increase in the activity of superoxide dismutase without concomitant changes in the activity of catalase or glutathione peroxidase and an age-related decrease in the concentrations of alpha-tocopherol and ascorbate. These observations, coupled with age-related increases in lipid peroxidation and interleukin-1beta concentration, are consistent with a compromised antioxidant defense in cortex of aged rats, a proposal supported by the finding that these changes were not observed in cortical tissue prepared from rats fed on a diet supplemented with alpha-tocopherol and ascorbate for 12 weeks.
O'Donnell
E
E
Department of Physiology, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland.
Lynch
M A
MA
D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D004032:Diet; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000494:pharmacology
D000975:Antioxidants; D007375:Interleukin-1; D014810:Vitamin E; D016718:Arachidonic Acid; D002374:Catalase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D005978:Glutathione; D001205:Ascorbic Acid