Open AccessRole of Oxidative Stress and Adenosine Nucleotides in the Liver of Aging Rats
Author(s) -
Frederic Mármol,
Juan Pablo Sánchez,
D. López,
Núria Martínez,
Carme Xaus,
Carmen A. Peralta,
Joan RosellóCatafau,
M. T. Mitjavila,
P. Puig-Parellada
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
physiological research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.647
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1802-9973
pISSN - 0862-8408
DOI - 10.33549/physiolres.931768
Subject(s) - tbars , oxidative stress , medicine , endocrinology , superoxide dismutase , thiobarbituric acid , chemistry , catalase , lipid peroxidation , mitochondrion , superoxide , nitric oxide , biochemistry , biology , enzyme
We studied the response of several parameters related tooxidative stress in the liver of aging rats. Male Wistar rats aged1.5, 3, 18 and 24 months were used. Livers showed an increasein superoxide anion (O2-) concentration at 1.5 and 18 months ofage compared to the 3-month-old group; a decrease insuperoxide dismutase (SOD) was seen at 1.5 months andcatalase concentrations remained unaltered throughout the agingprocess. Nitric oxide (NO) progressively declined with age; asignificant decrease was particularly apparent at 18 and 24months of age. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS)decreased significantly at 1.5 months, whereas it increased at 18and 24 months of age. Concentrations of prostaglandin E2(PGE2), and adenine nucleotides, and their metabolites, remainedunchanged throughout the aging process. Although themitochondrial damage caused by oxidative stress can result inreduced ATP production and compromised cell function, ourresults on adenosine nucleotides and their metabolites supportthe notion that the integrity of mitochondria and enzymaticactivity remain mostly unchanged with aging. In conclusion, weobserved a significant decrease in the levels of NO in the oldergroups of rats and hence in its antioxidant activity. This couldexplain the observed increase in lipid peroxides which suggestsan important role for NO in oxidative stress in the liver of olderrats.