1: Neurochem Res. 2009 Apr;34(4):755-63. Epub 2008 Oct 10.

Mitochondrial decay in the brains of old rats: ameliorating effect of
alpha-lipoic acid and acetyl-L-carnitine.

Long J, Gao F, Tong L, Cotman CW, Ames BN, Liu J.

Institute for Brain Aging and Dementia, University of California, Irvine, CA
92697-4540, USA.

To investigate the mitochondrial decay and oxidative damage resulting from aging,
the activities/kinetics of the mitochondrial complexes were examined in the
brains of young and old rats as well as in old rats fed R-alpha-lipoic acid plus
acetyl-L-carnitine (LA/ALC). The brain mitochondria of old rats, compared with
young rats, had significantly decreased endogenous antioxidants and superoxide
dismutase activity; more oxidative damage to lipids and proteins; and decreased
activities of complex I, IV and V. Complex I showed a decrease in binding
affinity (increase in K(m)) for substrates. Feeding LA/ALC to old rats partially
restored age-associated mitochondrial dysfunction to the levels of the young
rats. These results indicate that oxidative mitochondrial decay plays an
important role in brain aging and that a combination of nutrients targeting
mitochondria, such as LA/ALC, could ameliorate mitochondrial decay through
preventing mitochondrial oxidative damage.


PMID: 18846423 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]