Abstract
Glutathione is the most abundant thiol-containing component in living cells and is believed to play an important role as an antioxidant. We have examined the levels of reduced, oxidized, and total glutathione in liver, blood, kidneys, and intestinal mucosa of mice as a function of age. Reduced glutathione levels decreased in kidneys, Intestinal mucosa, and blood while total glutathione levels decreased in all tissue with advanced age. Highest concentrations of reduced glutathione per μg protein were present in liver and intestinal mucosa. Our results support the hypothesis that a decrease in reduced glutathione may contribute to changes associated with aging as well as to the increased susceptibility to disease processes which occur with advanced age.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Harman, D.: The Biology of Aging: Possible Role of Free Radical Reactions. Bios. 46: 74–83, 1975.
Goldstein, S.: The Biology of Aging: New Eng. J. Med. 285:1120–1129, 1971.
Timiras, P. S.: Biological Perspectives on Aging. Amer. Scientist 66: 605–613, 1978.
Harman, D.: Prolongation of the Normal Life Span by Radiation Protection Chemicals. J.Geront. 12: 275–261, 1957.
Harman, D.: Prolongation of the Normal Life Span and Inhibition of Spontaneous Cancer by Antioxidants. J. Geront. 16: 247–254, 1961.
Harman, D.: Free Radical Theory of Aging: Effect of Free Radical Reaction Inhibitors on the Mortality Rate of Male LAF1Mice. J. Geront. 23: 476–482, 1968.
Harman, D.: Free Radical Theory of Aging: Effect of Free Radical Reaction Inhibitors on the Life Span of Male LAF Mice — Second Experiment. The Gerontol. 8:III: 13, 1968.
Comfort, A. Youhototsky-Gore, I. and Pathmenathan, K.: Effect of Ethoxyquin on the Longevity of C3H Mice. Nature, 229: 254–255, 1971.
Kohn, R. R.: Effect of Antioxidants on Life Span of C57BL Mice. J. Geront. 26: 378–380, 1971.
Harman, D., Heidrick, M. L. and Eddy, D. E.: Free Radical Theory of Aging: Effect of Free-Radical-Reaction Inhibitors on the Immune Response. J. Amer. Ger. Soc. 25: 400–407, 1977.
Aries, I. M. and Jakoby, W. B., eds. Glutathione: Metabolism and Function, Raven Press, New York, 1976, pp. 1–34.
Harman, D.: Aging: A Theory Based on Free Radical and Radiation Chemistry. J. Geront., 11: 298–300, 1956.
Leot, S., Yiengst, M. and Barrows, C. H.: The Effect of Age on the Sulfhydryl Content of Serum Albumin. The Gerontol. 8:III; 13, 1968.
Bertolini, A. M., Quarto di Palo, F. M. and Spinnler, H. R.: Variations in Erythrocytic Sulfhydryl Groups in Relation to Individual Age, and During Physiological Aging. Acta Gerontol. 12: 1–7, 1962.
Goldschmidt, L.: Variations in Red Cell Glutathione with Aging in Male and Female Primaquine-Sensitive Negroes. Clin. Biochem. 4: 34–37, 1971.
Eng, L. I. L., Wan, W. P. and Ng, T.: Reduced Glutathione, Glutathione Reductase, Glutathione Peroxide, and Pyruvate Kinase in Erythrocytes of Human Newborns and Adults in Malaysia. Brit. J. Haematol. 25: 577–583, 1973.
Smith, J. D.: Blood Glutathione in Aging Lambs. Amer. J. Vet. Res. 34: 591–592, 1973.
Lambert, G. H. and Thorgiersson, S. S.: Glutathione in the Developing Mouse Liver. 1. Developmental Curve and Depletion after Acetaminophen Treatment. Biochem. Pharmacol. 25: 1777–1781, 1976.
Pinto, R. E. and Bartley, W.: The Effect of Age and Sex on Glutathione Reductase and Glutathione Peroxidase Activities and on Aerobic Glutathione Oxidation in Rat Liver Homogenates. Biochem. J. 112: 109–115, 1969.
Hissin, P. J. and Hilf, R.: A Fluorometric Method for the Determination of Oxidized and Reduced Glutathione in Tissues. Anal. Biochem. 74: 214–226, 1976.
Lowry, O. H., Rosebrough, N. J., Farr, A. L. and Randall, R. J.: Protein Measurement with the Folin Phenol Reagent. J. Biol. Chem. 193: 265–275, 1951.
Meyers, J. L. Fundamentals of Experimental Design, 3rd, Ed., Allyn and Bacon, Inc., Boston, pp 90–91, 1978.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
About this article
Cite this article
Stohs, S.J., Hassing, J.M., Al-Turk, W.A. et al. Glutathione levels in hepatic and extrahepatic tissues of mice as a function of age. AGE 3, 11–14 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02435000
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02435000