Comparison of age-related differences in expression of antioxidant enzyme mRNA and activity in various tissues of pigs

Antioxidant enzymes (AOEs), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase(SOD) and catalase (CAT) play an important role in protecting tissues from reactive oxygen species (ROS) reactions. The objective of this study was to determine the developmental regulation of AOEs mRNA levels and activity in tissues of different growing phases pigs (Sus scrofa). Nine different tissues were collected from thirty Duroc x Landrace x Yorkshire male pigs with six animals in each age (1, 42, 84, 126 and 168 days) to assay for GPx, CAT and CuZnSOD mRNA expression and activities. Results showed that GPx, CAT, and CuZnSOD mRNA levels in liver increased (P<0.05) at the first stage, and thereafter their levels began to decline (P<0.05), and the maximal mRNA levels of these AOEs were seen at the age of 42, 84, and 126 days, respectively. In Muscle, GPx and CAT mRNA level increased from 1 to 84 days and 1 to 126 days, respectively, and thereafter their levels began to decline, whereas CuZnSOD mRNA level steadily increased (P<0.05) following birth. Activity expression of AOEs in selected tissues was increased as pigs became older (P<0.05) with the exception of CuZnSOD activity in muscle, but changes in AOEs mRNA levels between ages did not fully account for all changes in activity. GPx and CuZnSOD mRNA were most abundantly expressed in muscle, while CAT mRNA were most abundant in brain. AOEs may exert cell and tissue-specific roles in metabolic regulation beyond their mere antioxidant potential. In conclusion, expression of AOEs mRNA and activity exhibit different developmental profiles in various tissues of pigs, and the regulation of AOEs is not tightly coordinated in either tissue.