Increased levels of superoxide in brains from old female rats (original) (raw)

Antier, D, Carswell, HV, Brosnan, MJ, Hamilton, CA, Macrae, IM, Groves, S, Jardine, E, Reid, JL and Dominiczak, AF ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4913-3608(2004) Increased levels of superoxide in brains from old female rats.Free Radical Research, 38(2), pp. 177-183. (doi: 10.1080/10715760310001643294)

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Abstract

Hypertension, aging and a range of neurodegenerative diseases are associated with increased oxidative damage. The present study examined whether superoxide (O2•-) levels in brain are increased during aging in female rats, and the role of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and oestrogen in regulating O2•- levels. Young adult (3 month) and old (11 month) female spontaneously hypertensive stroke prone rats (SHRSP) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) were studied. O2•- levels were measured in brain homogenates by lucigenin chemiluminescence and SOD expression by Western blotting. Ageing significantly increased brain O2•- levels in WKY (cortex +216%, hippocampus +320%, striatum +225%) and to a greater extent in SHRSP (cortex +540%, hippocampus +580%, striatum +533%). Older SHRSP showed a decline in cortical Cu/Zn SOD expression compared to young adult SHRSP. Oestrogen did not attenuate O2•- levels. The results show a significant age-dependent increase in brain O2•- levels which is exaggerated in SHRSP. The excess cortical O2•- levels in the SHRSP may be associated with a down-regulation of Cu/Zn SOD but are not related to a decrease in oestrogen.

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