Abstract
The main purpose of this study was to determine if differences in life spans of two different strains of mice are associated with the thiol redox state of their tissues and mitochondria. A comparison, based on amounts of reduced and oxidized glutathione (GSH, GSSG) and reactive protein thiols, was made between short-lived SAM (P8) mice and the longer-lived C57BL/6 mice at 13 months of age. The average life span of the latter mouse strain is approximately 48% longer than the former strain. Analyses of plasma, tissue homogenates and mitochondria of liver, kidney, heart, brain and skeletal muscle indicated that, in general, amounts of GSH and reactive protein sulfhydryls and GSH:GSSG ratios were lower and concentrations of GSSG were higher in the SAM than the C57BL/6 mice. Differences in the redox state between the two strains were more consistent and pronounced in skeletal muscle than in other tissues, and in mitochondria than in their respective tissue homogenates. Overall, the results support the view that the shorter-lived SAM mice exhibit a relatively higher level of oxidative stress than the longer-lived C57BL/6 mice, which is consistent with the predictions of the oxidative stress hypothesis of aging. Intra-species comparisons may be useful for the identification of biochemical characteristics associated with the variations in life spans.