(-)DEPRENYL INCREASES ACTIVITIES OF SUPEROXIDE-DISMUTASE AND CATALASEIN CERTAIN BRAIN-REGIONS IN OLD MALE-MICE

A subcutaneous continuous infusion of (-)deprenyl for 3 weeks in old C 57BL male mice increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities in s. nigra, striatum and cerebral cortex but not in hippo campus, cerebellum or liver. The doses of 0.5 and 1.0 mg/kg/day were m ost effective, while with a higher dose (2.0 mg/kg/day), deprenyl tend ed to lose its effect slightly and with a lower dose (0.25 mg/kg/day) deprenyl was clearly less effective. The results suggest that deprenyl can increase anti-oxidant enzyme activities in certain brain regions in mice as was previously demonstrated in rats of both sexes and diffe rent ages; this raises the possibility that deprenyl has this particul ar effect in animal species other than rats.