[Enzymes of the antioxidant system of rat liver during aging].

It is shown that ageing induces in rats intensification of a GSH-dependent antioxidant effect of the liver cytozole, growth of glutathione-S-transferase activity of cytozole, microsomes and mitochondria, a decrease of the NADPH generation rate in cytozole with malate and glucose-6-phosphate oxidation (the rate remaining at high level with isocytrate oxidation). It is supposed that under definite physiological conditions a lowered rate of NADPH generation in the malate dehydrogenase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase reactions in old animals may limit the efficiency of the NADPH-GSH-dependent antioxidant system of the liver cells. The peroxidase activity of cytochrome P-450 of microsomes and the glutathione reductase activity (EC 1.6.4.2) of cytozole rise in the liver of rats up to their 12 months and fall considerably with ageing. Cytochrome P-450 in the membranes of endoplasmic reticulum plays the role of an antioxidant.