It is generally accepted that oxidative stress increases with age, as indicated by age-related increases in lipid peroxidation. Also found in the aged organism is the accumulation of iron in various tissues. The increase in lipid peroxidation and tissue iron accumulation may not have been coincidental, but rather may be a causally related phenomenon, since iron involvement in lipid peroxidation is a well-accepted phenomenon in free radical metabolism. Our present study examined serum iron and ferritin as means to compare age-related changes in lipid peroxides and peroxidizability in aged rats. In addition, the anti-aging effect of dietary restriction on the modulation of iron status and lipid peroxidation was assessed. The results showed that the age-related increase in serum iron concurs with increased lipid peroxidation, and that these adverse changes were effectively attenuated by dietary restriction. Our finding is the first report on the modulation of iron status by long-term calorie restriction, and is consistent with the previous findings on the anti-peroxidative action of dietary restriction.
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