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Oxidant/antioxidant status in AKR mice

Background and purpose: The oxidant/antioxidant balance is an important determinant in the pathogenesis of degenerative processes associated with aging, increased risk for cancer development, integrity and functionality of membrane lipids, proteins, nucleic acids and immune function. In this study we shall restrict our attention on oxidant/antioxidant status of AKR mice related to ontogeny of thymic lymphoma and age in both sexes. Material and Methods: Male and female AKR mice aged 3, 6 or 12 months were used. Serum acid phosphatase activity (AP), plasma lipid-bound sialic acid (LSA) and total sialic acid (TSA) content were determined as markers of malignancy and immunological status of mice. Oxidant/antioxidant status of AKR mice was estimated according to the presence of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in the liver and thymus, and superoxide dismutase activity (SOD) in the whole blood. Results: TSA and LSA content were elevated already at 6 months in AKR mice, and were sex and age related. LSA concentration in thymoma-bearing mice was elevated already at 3 months in comparison to tumor-free mice. On the contrary, AP activity was neither age nor sex related. TBARS concentration in livers of 12 month old mice of both sexes was significantly increased but decreased in mice with developed thymomas. TBARS concentration in thymus of male mice was significantly increased but was unchanged in females. Also tumor-free thymus had higher TBARS concentration than thymomas of 6 and 12 month old male and female mice. SOD activities were sex and age unchanged. However, SOD activity in mice with developed thymomas was reduced in comparison to tumor-free mice. Conclusions: Oxidant/antioxidant status in AKR mice are related with age, tissue and sex, and are more pronounced in thymoma-bearing than in tumor-free mice. Thus it seems that oxidant/antioxidant changes demonstrated in AKR mice are not only simply age-, tissue- or sex-dependent but are associated with appearance of thymic lymphoma.

sialic acid; lipid peroxidation; AKR mice; superoxide dismutase; thymoma

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