Changes in ascorbate-induced lipid peroxidation of hepatic rough and smooth microsomes during postnatal development and ageing of rats.

In female Wistar rats, sensitivity to ascorbate-induced lipid peroxidation in rough and smooth microsomes increases with age, reaching a maximum in 1-year-old rats and decreases during ageing. Time course of lipid peroxidation, and lipid peroxidation with optimum concentrations of ascorbic acid, Fe2+ and protein in rough microsomes show that 1-year-old rats are the most susceptible followed by 75-day-old, 15-day-old, 2-year-old and 1-day-old rats. However, smooth microsomes show a slightly different trend with maximum sensitivity in 1-year-old rats followed by 15-day-old, 75-day-old, 2-year-old and 1-day-old rats. Smooth microsomes are more susceptible to lipid peroxidation than the rough in all age groups except 75-day-old rats. Smooth microsomes are also more sensitive to inhibitors of lipid peroxidation. Microsomal content of phospholipid increases during postnatal development and decreases during ageing, whereas that of ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol do not show any particular trend.