AGE-RELATED-CHANGES IN ANTIOXIDANT ENZYMES, SUPEROXIDE-DISMUTASE, CATALASE, GLUTATHIONE-PEROXIDASE AND GLUTATHIONE IN DIFFERENT REGIONS OF MOUSE-BRAIN

It has been proposed that neurodegenerative processes of aging are ass ociated with the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) during ce llular metabolism. These reactive oxygen species are scavenged by anti oxidant enzymes in biological systems. The present study was designed to determine the selective distribution of the antioxidant enzymes sup eroxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase activity and re duced glutathione (GSH) levels in different regions of the C57BL/6N mo use brain and to determine if any alterations occurred with age. Catal ase activity did not show any significant change except in cerebellum. Activity of superoxide dismutase was increased with age in all region s of the brain except in hippocampus of 2-yr-old mice. The glutathione peroxidase activity in the caudate nucleus increased in all regions o f the brain, however, the activity did not change at one, six and 12 m onths. A significant increasing pattern of glutathione content was fou nd in the cerebellum and brain stem with age. These data demonstrate t hat although the level of antioxidant enzymes Varied in different regi ons of the brain, overall the enzyme activities tend to increase with age.