Lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzyme activities in vascular and Alzheimer dementias.

It has been reported that oxidative stress may play a role in the pathogenesis of dementia of the Alzheimer type (AD) and the cerebral ischemia which causes vascular dementia (VD). We measured malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione reductase (GR) activities in blood samples from patients with AD and VD and in healthy non-demented controls (CTR) which similar ages to the patients, in order to evaluate the degree of oxidative stress in patients with AD and VD. A sample of 150 subjects consisting of 50 patients with AD; 50 patients with VD and 50 CTR, aged from 65 to 85 years on, was analyzed. Most of the changes observed were in SOD activity and MDA levels. Catalase activity were least affected. Significant differences were observed in SOD and GR activity between males and females in CRT and in patients with AD, but not in VD. We have found a decrease in antioxidant enzymes activities (SOD, CAT, GPx and GR) in patients with AD and VD and significant differences were observed between CRT and AD patients for ages from 65 to 74, 75 to 84 and from 85 years to 94 years in SOD activity and MDA levels (P < 0.001). MDA levels increase with age in VD, AD and CTR. No significant variation with respect to sex were detected, but significant variations in MDA levels were detected between CRT and patients with VD and AD (P < 0.001). We conclude that oxidative stress plays an important role in the brain damage for both AD and VD, being observed higher levels of oxidative stress for AD that for VD.

Copper/zinc superoxide dismutase activity in newborns & young people in Spain.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: There is evidence that reactive oxygen species (ROS) plays an important role in the pathophysiology of many paediatric disorders. We carried out this study to see whether superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was associated with age, sex and rural or urban status in three groups of Spanish people (newborns, children and young). METHODS: SOD activity was measured in red blood cells in newborns, children and young Spanish people (n=1212, divided in six groups) using the Minami and Yoshikawa method. RESULTS: The newborns had high levels of SOD activity, but among all age groups studied, SOD showed the highest activity in groups 1 and 2. We also observed that this activity decreased gradually with age until achieving adult levels. No significant variations with respect to sex were detected, except for the >or=14 to 18 yr age group, in which SOD activity decreased significantly in females. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: Our findings show that SOD activity in newborns, children and young Spanish people is affected by age but not by gender (except from >or=14-18 yr) or rural or urban status.

Niveles de superóxido dismutasa y catalasa en enfermedades del anciano / Dismutase and catalase superoxide levels in pathologies of the elderly

Se han determinado los niveles de superóxido dismutasa (SOD) y catalasa (CAT) en 420 individuos de uno y otro sexo y edades comprendidas entre 50 y 93 años. De ellos, 126 que no mostraban ninguna enfermedad relevante se utilizaron como grupo control. Los 294 restantes mostraban diferentes trastornos: alteraciones del sistema vascular (insuficiencias coronarias, hipertensión, infarto, etc.), alteraciones del sistema osteoarticular (artritis, polialtralgias, osteoporosis, etc.), miomas, afecciones, prostáticas, enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica (EPOC) y accidente cerebral vascular agudo (ACVA). Para valorar SOD se utilizó el método de minami y Yoshikawa y el método de Aebi para valorar CAT. Métodos estadísticos: ANOVA y "t" de Student. En la población control se han obtenido: 1) niveles de SOD y CAT más elevados en mujeres que en varones. 2) la actividad de CAT disminuye con la edad. En la población con patologías: 3) la actividad de SOD está elevada en cardiovascular, miomas, EPOC y ACVA. 4) la actividad de CAT desciende en cardiovascular, próstata, EPOC y ACVA. 5) en osteoarticular actividad normal de SOD y CAT, aunque SOD desciende con la edad, CAT desciende con la edad en cardiovascular y EPOC. En general el comportamiento de ambos enzimas tiende a conseguir un equilibrio en el sistema antioxidante