Kinetics of NADPH-induced lipid peroxidation in rat liver microsomal fractions as a function of age

The kinetics of NADPH-induced lipid peroxidation in hepatic rough and smooth microsomes have been studied in rats ranging in age from 1 day to 2 years. Apparent Km and Vmax for NADPH and the extent of lipid peroxidation show that lipid peroxidation potential is low at birth, increases during postnatal development, and decreases during senescence. Our results indicate that this trend may be due to changes in phospholipid content and NADPH cytochrome c reductase activity in microsomal fractions.