Impaired enzymatic reactive aldehyde-detoxifying capacity and glutathione peroxidase activity in the aged human arterial tissue

It is not known whether aging alters the enzymatic reactive aldehyde- and lipid hydroperoxide-detoxifying capacity of the human arterial tissue favoring vascular oxidative stress. To address this issue, we studied the specific enzymatic activities of class 1, 2 and 3 aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH1, ALDH2 and ALDH3), glutathione S‑transferase (isozyme A4-4, GSTA4-4) and aldose reductase (AR), namely the major reactive aldehyde-scavenging enzymes, together with the activity of the lipid hydroperoxide-removing enzyme glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), in superior thyroid arteries (STA) specimens obtained in the thyroid surgery setting in aged subjects (age 72.3 ± 3.6 years) and young adult controls (age 31.9 ± 3.5 years). Vascular lipid peroxidation was also studied by assessing in STA fluorescent damage products of lipid peroxidation (FDPL), which reflect oxidant-induced 4‑hydroxynonenal and lipid hydroperoxide formation. Remarkably, the activities of ALDH1, ALDH2, ALDH3, GSTA4-4, AR and GSH-Px were significantly lower, and FDPL levels higher, in the arterial tissue of the aged subjects than in that of the young adult controls. Moreover, the enzymatic activities were inversely and significantly correlated with the levels of FDPL in the arterial tissue of both the aged and young subjects, highlighting their vascular antioxidant/antilipoperoxidative role in vivo. Thus, aging impairs the enzymatic reactive aldehyde-detoxifying capacity and GSH-Px activity of the human arterial tissue eventually favoring vascular oxidative stress.