Modulation of free radicals and superoxide dismutases by age and dietary restriction.

Reducing dietary intake has been shown to be the most effective means for modulating aging processes in laboratory rodents. Dietary restriction has also been shown to be a modulator of membrane lipid peroxidation and cytosolic antioxidant status. In the present study, anti-radical action of dietary restriction was investigated further by quantitating the formation of the superoxide radical, hydroxyl radical and hydrogen peroxide by liver microsomes from rats of various ages. The results show that the ad libitum fed group maintained a higher production of superoxide and hydroxyl radicals when compared to the food restricted group of the same age. Hydrogen peroxide formation followed the same trend but was statistically greater only at 3 and 6 months of age. The food restricted group tended to show a higher superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in both cytosolic and mitochondrial fractions than ad libitum fed controls. These data indicate that the free radical activity observed in the liver microsomes of ad libitum fed rats can be attenuated by dietary restriction, thereby providing a possible biochemical mechanism for its anti-lipoxidative action on membrane lipid peroxidation as reported in an earlier study. This action may in part underlie the life span-prolonging action of food restriction.