High perceived stress in women is linked to oxidation, inflammation and immunosenescence.

Chronic stress situations lead to an impairment of immune response and higher oxidative and inflammatory stress, which are important underlying mechanisms of the ageing process. However, given that the physiological stress response depends on the subjective appraisal of a given stressor, the aim of the study was to investigate the effect that different degrees of perceived stress have, regardless of their type, on immune functions, oxidative and inflammatory stress and ageing rate of women (30-50 years old). For that purpose, a group of 49 women was classified, according to their scores obtained in the perceived stress scale (PSS), into low (n = 23), moderate (n = 14) and high (n = 12) degree of perceived stress. The immune functions studied were: neutrophil and lymphocyte chemotaxis, neutrophil phagocytic capacity, natural killer activity, lymphoproliferation and LPS-stimulated cytokine release. Basal cytokine release was studied as an inflammatory stress marker. Antioxidant (superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and reductase activities, and reduced glutathione) and oxidant compounds (oxidized glutathione and malondialdehyde) were also investigated in whole blood as markers of oxidative stress. The results show that, in general, women with a moderate or high degree of perceived stress have a worse immune functionality and higher oxidative and inflammatory stress compared to women with low stress perception. In addition, a positive correlation was found between PSS scores and the biological age of each woman (P ≤ 0.001). In conclusion, high levels of perceived stress in women are associated with a higher oxidative and inflammatory stress and immunosenescence, which seem to accelerate their ageing rate.

Altered Redox State in Whole Blood Cells from Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease.

Oxidative stress plays an essential and early role in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Alterations in the redox state in AD and in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients appear in the brain and at peripheral level. Given that it is easier to study the latter, most of the research has been focused on plasma. However, the analysis of redox parameters in whole blood cells (including erythrocytes and leukocytes) has not really been investigated. Moreover, the association of these parameters with Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) clinical scores, has scarcely been studied. Therefore, the aim of the present work was to analyze several redox markers in whole blood cells from male and female MCI and AD patients. Antioxidant (superoxide dismutase, catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and reductase (GR) activities, and reduced glutathione (GSH) concentration) together with oxidant parameters (oxidized glutathione (GSSG) and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS)) were investigated using MCI and AD (10 women and 10 men in each group) and their age-matched control groups (15 women and 15 men). The results show an altered redox state in whole blood cells from AD patients (higher CAT, GSSG/GSH, TBARS and lower GPx, GR, GSH). Some of these redox parameters are already affected in MCI patients (higher TBARS and lower GPx and GR activities) in both sexes and, consequently, they could be used as markers of prodromal AD. Since GR, GSH, GSSG, and GSSG/GSH were found to be associated with MMSE scores, they seem to be useful clinically to monitor cognitive decline in AD progression.