Changes in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, copper, zinc-superoxide dismutase and catalase activities, glutathione and its metabolizing enzymes, and lipid peroxidation in rat erythrocytes with age.

We have studied the activities of enzymes (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD), copper, zinc-superoxide dismutase (Cu,Zn-SOD), catalase (CAT), selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase (Se-GSH-Px) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST)), and the levels of reduced glutathione (GSH), oxidized glutathione (GSSG) and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) in rat erythrocytes and estimated the ratio of GSH/GSSG and the redox index. Male Wistar rats at ages of 1, 6 and 12 months were used. The activities of G-6-PD and Cu,Zn-SOD, the levels of GSSG and TBARS were increased, while the activity of Se-GSH-Px and the level of GSH were decreased with age. GSH/GSSG ratio was significantly decreased with age. We found a positive correlation between age and G-6-PD (r=0.476, p<0.01), Cu,Zn-SOD (r=0.291, p<0.01), CAT (r=0.254, p<0.01) and GST activities (r=0.250, p<0.05), and GSSG (r=0.708, p<0.05) and TBARS levels (r=0.802, p<0.01), whereas the correlation between age and Se-GSH-Px activity (r=-0.376, p<0.05), GSH level (r=-0.603, p<0.01) and GSH/GSSG ratio (r=-0.685, p<0.05) were negative. We found age-related differences in erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme activities, GSH, GSSG, total GSH and TBARS levels, GSH/GSSG ratio and the redox index.