Age affects glutathione content and glutathione-transferase activity in human gastric mucosa

This study was undertaken to evaluate the influence of age on the content of glutathione, and its amino-acid precursor cysteine and on the activity of glutathione-S-transferase of gastric mucosa in man. We examined 44 gastric mucosal samples taken from the body and the antrum of the stomach of 22 healthy subjects, aged between 19 and 65 years. The results were examined in relationship to their distribution in the stomach, to the sex and to the age of the subjects. Glutathione and glutathione-S-transferase were higher in the gastric body than in the antrum, without differences between males and females. The activity of glutathione-S-transferase was directly related to glutathione content and both decreased with age. Cysteine was not influenced by any of the factors considered. These data indicate that the antioxidative and detoxifying capability of gastric mucosa decreases with age in man.