Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 16, 2026

Rapid Quantification of Oxidized and Reduced Forms of Glutathione Using Ortho -phthalaldehyde in Cultured Mammalian Cells In Vitro
Published on: June 28, 2024
Superoxide dismutase and glutathione interact to determine cognitive outcome among people with subjective cognitive
Chieh-Hsin Lin1,2,3, Hsien-Yuan Lane4,5,6
1Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, No.123, Dapi Road, Niaosong District, Kaohsiung City, 833401, Taiwan.
Background:
Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) is an early sign of Alzheimer's disease, in which oxidative stress is implicated. Three primary endogenous antioxidants include superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), and catalase (CAT). This current study aimed to explore the roles of these antioxidants in cognitive outcome of SCD.
Methods:
Sixty-seven adults with SCD were recruited. Cognitive function (assessed by the Alzheimer's disease assessment scale-cognitive subscale [ADAS-cog]), global function (by Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study scale for ADL [ADCS-ADL]), and plasma GSH, CAT, and SOD were measured at baseline and two years later.
Results:
Over the two-year course, the 67 participants' cognitive performance (mean ADAS-cog score: 5.2 ± 3.4 at baseline vs. 6.1 ± 5.2 at endpoint, P = .062) and global function (ADCS-ADL score: 68.5 ± 10.2 vs. 62.5 ± 13.3, P < .001) showed a deteriorating trend. Their GSH levels fell significantly (3.67 ± 2.70 vs. 2.81 ± 2.51 μm, P = .016), CAT rose (67.7 ± 23.4 vs. 91.9 ± 35.1 nmol/min/mL, P < .001), but SOD remained pretty constant (0.145 ± 0.053 vs. 0.158 ± 0.068 U/mL). Using generalized estimating equations to assess longitudinal changes in ADAS-Cog, we discovered that baseline ADAS-cog score (P < .001), BMI (P = .009), and baseline SOD×GSH interaction (P = .034) were associated with cognitive outcomes.
Conclusions:
Cognitive decline in people with SCD was influenced by baseline cognitive level, BMI, and the interaction between SOD and GSH, suggesting that antioxidant interplay may play a crucial role in regulating oxidative stress and consequently cognitive aging.
