Effect of chronic food restriction in aging rats. II. Liver cytosolic antioxidants and related enzymes.

The cytosolic status during aging of several antioxidants and enzymatic activities which protect the cell from oxidative damage was explored in the liver of ad libitum-fed and food restricted rats. Restricting calories effectively prevented the age-related decrease in cellular glutathione that occurs in ad libitum-fed rats. Although glutathione reductase exhibited little change with age in ad libitum-fed rats, dietary restriction resulted in greater activity of this enzyme than that of ad libitum-fed animals. Glutathione S-transferase activity of ad libitum-fed rats decreased significantly with age in ad libitum-fed rats but not in food restricted rats. The glutathione peroxidase activity which increased until 12 months in the ad libitum-fed rats declined by 24 months; there was little change with adult age in this enzymatic activity in food restricted rats. Catalase activity declined steadily from 3-24 months in the ad libitum-fed rats, and food restriction prevented this age-related decline. The significance of antioxidants and the related protective enzymes is discussed relative to membrane alterations and the anti-oxidative action of food restriction in relation to age-related degenerative damages.