Plasma levels of 8-epiPGF2 alpha, an in vivo marker of oxidative stress, are not affected by aging or Alzheimer's disease

Free radicals are likely involved in the aging process and there is a growi ng body of evidence that free radical damage to cellular function is associ ated with a number of age-related diseases such as atherosclerosis, cancer, and neurologic disorders. The present study was designed to evaluate in a. healthy population the evolution with age of 8-epiPGF2 alpha plasma levels , a recently proposed, marker of in vivo lipid peroxidation. Moreover we in vestigated this marker of oxidative stress in patients with Alzheimer's dis ease (AD), an age-related neurodegenerative disorder in the development of which free radicals have been involved. Our results show that in the health y population studied, despite decreased antioxidant defenses with increasin g age as monitored by antioxidant capacity measurement, plasma 8-epiPGF2 al pha levels were not correlated with age. Moreover, we have demonstrated tha t AD patients presented no modification of plasma 8-epiPGF2 alpha level and no major alteration of the antioxidant status. In conclusion, the measurem ent of plasma 8-epiPGF2 alpha did not allow us to detect alterations in oxi dative stress with aging or in AD. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc.