Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » Grand Forks, North Dakota » Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center » Healthy Body Weight Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #252601

Title: Noninvasive quantification of ascorbate and glutathione concentration in the elderly human brain

Author
item EMIR, UZAY - University Of Minnesota
item Raatz, Susan
item MCPHERSON, SUSAN - University Of Minnesota
item HODGES, JAMES - University Of Minnesota
item TORKELSON, CAROLYN - University Of Minnesota
item TAWFIK, PIERRE - University Of Minnesota
item WHITE, TONYA - University Of Minnesota
item TERPSTRA, MELISSA - University Of Minnesota

Submitted to: NMR in Biomedicine
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/22/2010
Publication Date: 6/22/2011
Citation: Emir, U., Raatz, S.K., Mcpherson, S., Hodges, J.S., Torkelson, C., Tawfik, P., White, T., Terpstra, M. 2011. Noninvasive quantification of ascorbate and glutathione concentration in the elderly human brain. NMR in Biomedicine. 24:521-528.

Interpretive Summary: Ascorbate (Asc) and glutathione (GSH) are powerful antioxidants in the human body. In this study, Asc and GSH concentrations were measured non invasively using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (double edited 1H MRS at 4T) in the brain (occipital cortex) of healthy young (age 18 – 22 years, N = 22) and elderly (age 70 – 89 years, N = 22) human subjects. Elderly subjects had a lower GSH concentration compared to younger subjects (p < 0.05). Asc concentration did not have a significant association with age. Furthermore, lactate (Lac) concentration was higher in elderly than young subjects. Lower GSH and higher Lac are indications of impaired mitochondrial respiration and defective protection against oxidative damage. We were able to compare GSH and Asc concentrations non-invasively in the brain for the first time in young versus elderly subjects.

Technical Abstract: In this study, Ascorbate (Asc) and glutathione (GSH) concentrations were non-invasively quantified using double edited 1H MRS at 4T in the occipital cortex of healthy young(age 18 – 22 years, N = 22) and elderly (age 70 – 89 years, N = 22) human subjects. Elderly subjects had a lower GSH concentration compared to younger subjects (p < 0.05). Asc concentration did not have a significant association with age. Furthermore, lactate (Lac) concentration was higher in elderly than young subjects. Lower GSH and higher Lac concentrations are indications of defective protection against oxidative damage and impaired mitochondrial respiration. The effect of age on choline (Cho), creatine (Cr), and N-acetylaspartate (NAA) T2s was examined using short echo time STEAM spectroscopy. T2s of compounds in elderly subjects were shorter than those in young subjects. In conclusion, GSH and Asc concentrations were compared non-invasively for the first time in young versus elderly subjects.