Figure 4

Left ventricular superoxide dismutase activity, catalase activity, and glutathione peroxidase activity. (a) Left ventricular superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in young rats (3 months old; control, n = 6; lipopolysaccharide (LPS) 0.5 mg/kg, n = 7; LPS 5 mg/kg, n = 6) and senescent rats (24 months old; control, n = 8; LPS 0.5 mg/kg, n = 8) treated with LPS or saline (control). (b) Left ventricular catalase activity in young rats (control, n = 9; LPS 0.5 mg/kg, n = 8; LPS 5 mg/kg, n = 11) and senescent rats (control, n = 7; LPS 0.5 mg/kg, n = 7). (c) Left ventricular glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity in young rats (control, n = 9; LPS 0.5 mg/kg, n = 8; LPS 5 mg/kg, n = 9) and senescent rats (control, n = 7; LPS 0.5 mg/kg, n = 7). Activities of the three antioxidant enzymes were unchanged during endotoxemia whatever the age and the LPS dose studied (0.5 or 5 mg/kg in young rats). Values are the mean ± standard error of the mean.