Decoding Aging: Understanding the Complex Relationship among Aging, Free Radicals, and GSH

María E. López-Navarro, Mariana Jarquín-Martínez, Luis A. Sánchez-Labastida, Daniel Ramírez-Rosales, Marycarmen Godínez-Victoria, Laura Itzel Quintas-Granados, José Guadalupe Trujillo-Ferrara

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

10 Scopus citations

Abstract

N-aryl maleimides can undergo a 1,4-Michael-type addition reaction with reduced glutathione (GSH), leading to a decreased concentration of GSH and an increased concentration of free radicals (FRs) in cells. GSH is a critical scavenging molecule responsible for protecting cells from oxidation and for maintaining redox homeostasis. N-aryl maleimides disturb redox homeostasis in cells because they scavenge thiol-containing molecules, especially GSH. This study aimed at measuring the concentrations of GSH and FRs by electronic paramagnetic resonance (EPR), in the brain and liver tissue of male Wistar rats (ex vivo) at different ages and after treatment with 3,5-dimaleimylbenzoic acid (3,5-DMB). Our results showed a relationship between age and the concentrations of GSH and FRs in cells. In young rats, the concentration of GSH was higher than in old rats, while the concentration of FRs was higher in adult rats than in young rats, suggesting an inverse relationship between GSH and FRs. On the other hand, the reaction of 3,5-DMB (an electrophilic maleimide) with cellular GSH increased the FR content. The results of this study contribute to the awareness that the process of aging implies not only a loss of tissue function but also essential changes in the molecular contents of cells, especially the concentrations of FRs and GSH.

Translated title of the contributionDecodificación del envejecimiento: comprensión de la compleja relación entre el envejecimiento, los radicales libres y el GSH
Original languageEnglish
Article number3970860
JournalOxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity
Volume2020
DOIs
StatePublished - 2020

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Decoding Aging: Understanding the Complex Relationship among Aging, Free Radicals, and GSH'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this