Blood antioxidant parameters in subjects from Azorean populations with different sociocultural profile

Abstract de Comunicação em Painel (PS4-02730) apresentada em "27th Meeting of the Federation of European Biochemical Societies (FEBS)", 30 Jun-6 Jul, 2001, Lisboa, Portugal.Age, sex, physiological and pathological conditions, as well as geographical location reflected in diet, social and environmental conditions and even in life habits are relevant factors in the assessment of the prooxidant/antioxidant status of individuais. The aim of this work is to compare some antioxidant parameters, such as whole blood Se-glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and erythrocyte Cu, Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities, serum selenium, copper and zinc leveis in healthy subjects from three populations with different sociocultural characteristics. Volunteer men and women aged 20-60 were selected from Ponta Delgada (urban population), Ribeira Quente (fishing population) and Água Retorta (rural population) located in the island o f S. Miguel (Azores’ Archipelago, Portugal). No significant differences in GSH-Px activity were found in interpopulation analysis, but the activity tended to be higher in women than in men; in turn, selenium levels, which were maximum in subjects from Ribeira Quente, were significantly bigher in male than in female groups, except in the rural population where they were similar. SOD activities, as well as zinc leveis were significantly higher in both men and women from the fishing population than in the others, where they did not differ. Also SOD, but not zinc or copper, was higher by 13% in women than in men from Ribeira Quente. The rural population exhibited the highest copper concentrations, being much higher in these women than in those from Ribeira Quente or Ponta Delgada. Diet, either food or drinking water might be a major cause for the differences observed