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Lipid Peroxidation and Antioxidant Enzyme Activities in Vascular and Alzheimer Dementias

Neurochemical Research volume 33, pages 450–458 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

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.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the patients with AD and VD, the control individuals, and the collaborating clinicians for their participation in this study. We also thank Miss María Burgos for her excellent reviewing of English in this manuscript. These studies were performed with funds provided by Eugenio Rodriguez Pascual Foundation.

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Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Fisiopatología Celular y Molecular, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CSIC), Ramiro de Maeztu, 9, Madrid, 28040, Spain

    Ángela Casado, Mª Encarnación López-Fernández & Rosario de La Torre

  2. Centro de Salud INSALUD, Casas Ibañez, Albacete, Spain

    Mª Concepción Casado

Authors
  1. Ángela Casado
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  2. Mª Encarnación López-Fernández
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  3. Mª Concepción Casado
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  4. Rosario de La Torre
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Correspondence to Ángela Casado.

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Casado, Á., Encarnación López-Fernández, M., Concepción Casado, M. et al. Lipid Peroxidation and Antioxidant Enzyme Activities in Vascular and Alzheimer Dementias. Neurochem Res 33, 450–458 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-007-9453-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-007-9453-3

Keywords

  • Antioxidant enzymes
  • Catalase
  • Glutathione peroxidase
  • Glutathione reductase
  • Lipid peroxidation
  • Malondialdehyde
  • Oxidative stress
  • Superoxide dismutase
  • Vascular dementia
  • Dementia of the Alzheimer type