Antioxidant enzyme activities and malondialdehyde levels related to aging.
BACKGROUND
Free oxygen radicals have been proposed as important causative agents of aging. We have evaluated age-related changes in antioxidant enzyme activities and lipid peroxidation.


METHODS
We measured erythrocyte superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. One hundred and seventy six healthy subjects were divided into five groups: Group 1 (n = 25; 0.2-1 year-old), Group 2 (n = 28; 2-11 years), Group 3 (n = 23: 12-24 years), Group 4 (n = 40; 25-40 years), Group 5 (n = 60: 41-69 years).


RESULTS
SOD activities in Group 5 were significantly lower than in the other groups (P < 0.001). GPx and CAT activities and MDA levels in Group 5 were significantly higher than the other groups (P < 0.001, respectively). CAT activity in Group 4 was significantly higher than group 1 and group 2 (respectively, P < 0.001), and in group 3 was high compared to Group 2 (P < 0.001). There were negative correlations between SOD activities and age (P < 0.001). Conversely, there were positive correlations between CAT, GPx and MDA levels and age (P < 0.001). CAT activities of women in Group 2 were found to be high compared to the men (P < 0.05). MDA levels of women in Group 5 were higher than in the male groups (P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
We found age-related differences in erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme activities. Furthermore, peroxidative injury is raised in the aging process.
Osmangazi University,The Medical School, Department of Biochemistry, 26480, Eskisehir, Turkey. minal@ogu.edu.tr
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Kanbak
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Sunal
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D002374:Catalase / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000097:blood*; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000097:blood*
D000975:Antioxidants; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D002374:Catalase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase