Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, Vol 54, Issue 9 B379-B383, Copyright © 1999 by The Gerontological Society of America

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Age-related changes in alpha-tocopherol dynamics with relation to lipid hydroperoxide content and fluidity of rat erythrocyte membrane

K Yanagawa, H Takeda, T Egashira, K Sakai, M Takasaki and T Matsumiya
Department of Pharmacology, Tokyo Medical University, Japan.

Age-related changes in alpha-tocopherol dynamics in plasma and erythrocyte membranes of 10- to 120-week-old rats were investigated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with redox detection mode. Furthermore, changes in lipid hydroperoxide content and fluidity of erythrocyte membrane with age were assessed using chemiluminescence- HPLC and Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer, respectively. A slight increase in the alpha-tocopherolquinone/alpha-tocopherol ratio in erythrocyte membrane and a decrease in the alpha-tocopherol in erythrocyte membrane/alpha-tocopherol in plasma ratio were observed. A significant increase in lipid hydroperoxide content and a marked decrease in the fluidity of erythrocyte membrane were seen with age. These findings suggest that alpha-tocopherol uptake in erythrocyte membrane declines, and utilization rate of alpha-tocopherol in erythrocyte membrane increases age-dependently. These changes, which enhanced lipid peroxidation and consequently reduced membrane fluidity, may be caused by the impairment of this transfer mechanism.

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