Rat testicular mitochondrial antioxidant defence system and its modulation by aging

Accumulation of oxidative damage caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) underlies fundamental changes found during aging. In the present study, age related effect on testicular mitochondrial oxidant generation and antioxidant defence profile was investigated in Wistar rats at 3 months (young adults), 12 months (old adults) and 24 months (senescent animals) of age. Mitochondrial oxidative stress parame- ters viz., lipid peroxidation (LPx), protein carbonylation, hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) generation and activ- ities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), levels of total, oxidized (GSSG) and reduced glutathione (GSH) were studied to find out their roles in mainte- nance of mitochondrial glutathione redox pool as a function of age. Increased levels of LPx, H 2 O 2 and decreased GSH content accompanied by a decline in activities of SOD, GPx and GR with advancing age suggest that antioxidant defense profile of testicular mitochondria exhibit age related alterations which might play a critical role in regulating physiological functions of the testis such as steroidogenesis and spermatogenesis