Lipid Peroxide Levels in the Senescence-Accelerated Mouse

Abstract

Age-related changes in serum and liver lipid peroxide levels in the male senescence-accelerated mouse (SAM) were studied over a period from 1 to 10 months after birth. The degree of senescence of SAM-P/1 mice (accelerated senescence-prone mice) began to be higher at 4-6 months after birth compared with that of SAM-R/1 mice (accelerated senescence-resistant mice). Serum lipid peroxide levels of SAM-R/1 mice increased gradually with age. On the contrary, serum lipid peroxide levels of SAM-P/1 mice increased markedly at 2-3 months after birth, and the levels were significantly higher than those of SAM-R/1 mice at that time. Thereafter, the serum lipid peroxide levels of SAM-P/1 mice tended to be higher than those of SAM-R/1 mice until 8 months after birth. The pattern of changes in liver lipid peroxide levels of SAM-P/1 mice was similar to that in their serum lipid peroxide levels. A significant increase in liver lipid peroxide levels of SAM-P/1 mice was observed at 2 months after birth as compared with those of SAM-R/1 mice. Such increase in lipid peroxide levels in SAM-P/1 mice was found to occur prior to the appearance of age-related clinical signs, suggesting that lipid peroxides increased in the early period of the life may cause the initiation or promotion of the aging process.