title: Age-Related Changes in Antioxidative Enzyme Capacity in Tongue of Fischer 344 Rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Antioxidative enzyme efficiency changes in some organs with age. However, no study has been conducted on age-related antioxidant enzyme changes in tongue. In the present study, the authors investigated the activities of four antioxidative enzymes and their protein expressions in the tongues of young and old Fischer 344 rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Age-dependent changes in the enzyme activities of total superoxide dismutase (SOD), Mn-SOD, Cu/Zn-SOD, catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were determined using chemical kits, and the protein expressions levels of these enzymes by Western blotting. The study was conducted using rats aged 7 months (the young group, n=8) and 22 months (the old group, n=8).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Total SOD, Cu/Zn-SOD, and GPx activities in the tongues of old rats were lower than in young rats, and similarly, corresponding protein expressions were downregulated in old rats. On the other hand, although the protein expressions of Mn-SOD and CAT were lower in old rats, their enzyme activities were not.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study provide a possible mechanism for the tongue aging process, as in old Fischer 344 rats the antioxidant defense system was diminished with respect to enzyme activity levels and protein abundances.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Gachon University Gil Hospital, Incheon, Korea.
authors.forename: Min-Kwan
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Baek
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Institute, Gachon University Gil Hospital, Incheon, Korea.
authors.forename: Kyung-Ok
authors.initials: KO
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Institute, Gachon University Gil Hospital, Incheon, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun-Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Gachon University Gil Hospital, Incheon, Korea.
authors.forename: Yong-Woo
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Gachon University Gil Hospital, Incheon, Korea.
authors.forename: Joo-Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Gachon University Gil Hospital, Incheon, Korea.
authors.forename: Dong-Young
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Kim
keywords: Aging; Antioxidants; Oxidative Stress; Tongue