Our data support a disproportion between free radicals levels and scavenging systems activity in different cerebral regions of the aging rat. We investigated the total reactive antioxidant potential and reactivity levels, which represent the total antioxidant capacity, in different cerebral regions of the aging rat (cortex, striatum, hippocampus and the cerebellum). In addition, we have determined several oxidative stress parameters, specifically the free radicals levels, the macromolecules damage (lipid peroxidation and carbonyl content), as well as the antioxidant enzymes activities in different cerebral areas from young (2 months-old), mature adult (6 months-old) and old (24 months-old) male Wistar rats. Free radicals levels, determined by 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate probe, were higher in striatum, cerebellum and hippocampus from aged rats. There was an age-related increase in lipoperoxidation in hippocampus and cerebral cortex. In the cerebellum, a high activity of superoxide dismutase and a decrease of catalase activity were observed. The striatum exhibited a significant catalase activity decrease; and glutathione peroxidase activity was diminished in the hippocampus of mature and aged rats. There was a marked decrease of total antioxidant capacity in hippocampus in both reactivity and potential levels, whereas striatum and cerebral cortex displayed a reduction on reactivity assay. We suggest that age-related variations of total antioxidant defenses in brain may predispose structures to oxidative stress-related neurodegenerative disorders.

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