Relation of plasma protein oxidation parameters and paraoxonase activity in the ageing population.

The incidence of atherosclerosis increases with age. Oxidative changes in proteins and lipids are considered to be among the molecular mechanisms leading to endothelial dysfunction. Paraoxonase (PON1) is exclusively associated with high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and protects both HDL and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) from oxidation. PON1 has two cysteine residues for its antioxidant function. We investigated the relation between PON1 activity and protein oxidation parameters such as protein hydroperoxides (P-OOH), protein carbonyl (PCO), total thiol (T-SH) and advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP). Our study also covered other oxidative stress parameters such as oxidised LDL (oxLDL) and superoxide dismutase activity in the plasma of young, middle-aged and elderly individuals. PON1 activity of elderly and middle-aged individuals was decreased significantly compared with that in the young group. oxLDL levels of elderly individuals were increased significantly compared with those of both the young and middle-aged individuals. P-OOH, PCO and AOPP levels of the elderly and middle aged individuals were higher compared with those of the young. On the other hand, T-SH levels of the elderly and middle-aged individuals were lower compared with those of the young. Side by side with the decrease in the T-SH levels in the middle-aged and elderly groups as compared to the young, the increase we have observed in other protein oxidation parameters in the groups leading to decreasing PON1 activity might, we think, create a predisposition to atherosclerosis.