Aging retards spin clearance from mouse brain and food restriction prevents its age-dependent retardation.

After the nitroxyl radical 3-carbamoyl-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-1-pyrrolidinyloxyl (carbamoylPROXYL) was intraperitoneally administered to mice, the time courses of changes in the intensity of signals in L-band electron spin resonance spectra from their brains were measured. The spin clearance rate of old, ad libitum-fed mice was lower than that of young, ad libitum-fed mice. The rate of old, food-restricted mice was significantly higher than that of old, ad libitum-fed mice and was comparable to that of young, ad libitum-fed mice. The spin clearance was found to be due to the one-electron reduction of the nitroxyl radical, because a decreased spin intensity of it in serum was restored to the original level by potassium hexacyanoferrate (III) oxidation in vitro. These results suggest that reducing capacity in the cardiovascular system of mice is decreased with advancing age, and that food restriction prevents an age-dependent decrease in the reducing capacity.