Effect of aging on glutathione metabolism. Protection by antioxidants.

Abstract

The free radical theory of aging suggests that oxygen free radicals may be involved in the aging process. Thus, changes in antioxidant mechanisms may occur with aging. Since glutathione is one of the most effective antioxidant systems in the cell, its metabolism may change with aging. In this chapter we describe experiments which show the involvement of glutathione in the aging process and which provide a rationale for the administration of antioxidants to old organisms to protect them against some of the changes that occur with aging.