Reduced lipid peroxidation capacity and desaturation as biochemical markers of aging

The lipid peroxidation capacity, the lipid composition and the fatty acid composition of the major lipid fractions have been compared in the liver tissue of mice at different ages. Compared with mice at 2 months of age, there was a notable reduction in peroxidation capacity in the livers of mice at 12 and 26 months of age. These observations were associated with changes in the proportions of the major C18, C20 and C22 polyunsaturated fatty acids expressed in all the major lipid fractions and were accompanied by alterations in lipid composition. From the relationship between these features it is suggested that, under in vivo conditions, regulation of the aging processes may be intimately related to the metabolism of the polyunsaturated fatty acids and associated aspects of lipid metabolism. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.