ALTERATIONS IN THE ACTIVITIES OF CEREBRAL ANTIOXIDANT ENZYMES OF RAT ARE RELATED TO AGING

Developmental profiles of antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation w ere investigated in rat cerebral hemisphere from birth to 600 days of age. Lipid peroxidation level decreased in the crude homogenate from b irth until 15 days and, thereafter increased gradually up to 600 days. However, susceptibility of sub-cellular fractions to lipid peroxidati on displayed an increasing trend with increasing age. Superoxide dismu tase activity decreased gradually with age, whereas activities of cata lase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase exhibited an el evation up to 90 days followed by either a stagnancy or diminution in the later life. No linearity was observed in the contents of glutathio ne, ascorbic acid and H2O2 in the tissue. The results suggest that fre e radicals could be the causative agents of the aging process in which antioxidant enzymes have a definite regulatory contribution. (C) 1997 ISDN. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.