Age and exercise induced changes in glutathione metabolism of male albino rats

Abstract

In the present study the effect of exercise on age‐induced alterations in glutathione metabolism has been investigated in the tissues of male albino rats. The activity of antioxidant enzymes of glutathione‐S‐transferase, glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase, enzymes of oxidative metabolism glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase, succinate dehydrogenase and reduced glutathione, a biological antioxidant, were estimated in selected tissues. These enzymes showed a general decline with advancement of age. Further, endurance exercise increased the activity of these enzymes in both young and aged rats in all the three tissues studied. The increased activity of antioxidant enzymes and the GSH‐GSSG redox cycle during exercise training suggests a novel defensive mechanism in response to increased free radical production during aging.