Superoxide dismutase activity levels in a Spanish population 50-93 years

Reports dealing with the free radical theory of aging have focused on the possibility that aging may be accelerated in elderly individuals due to lowering of antioxidant defenses. Accordingly, free radical processes involving oxygen continously damage cells and tissues in the body, leading to degeneration and aging. Scavenging enzymes represent one of the several natural defense mechanisms against free radical-induced damage. These enzymes include superoxide dismutase. To investigate the role of this enzyme in aging, its activity was measured in 126 individuals 50-93 years of age. Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD(1)) was measured in red blood cells using the Minami and Yoshikawa method. The results were compared with those observed in a population between 18 and 65 years of age. SOD(1) activity in males remains constant or slightly decreases with age, whereas in females SOD(1) activity shows a significant increase in individuals between 68 and 93 years. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 11:45-47, 1999. Copyright 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.