Biological damage mediated by reactive oxygen species has been increasingly recognized in aging phenomena in recent decades. The increase in catecholamine metabolism is yet another physiological change in aging, predisposing the organism to supranormal hydrogen peroxide produc-tion as a by-product. This study was undertaken to investigate the alterations in oxidant- antioxidant status in rat cardiac tissue during aging. The effects of acute administration of monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors on this status were also investigated to find possible preventive strategies in conjugate aging. MAO activities, malondialdehyde MDA and diene conjugate levels as well as superoxide dismutase and catalase activities were determined in the cardiac tissues of young and aging groups, each consisting of 10 rats. MAO inhibitors (deprenyl and pargy-line) were administered to another two groups of young and aging animals (10 in each group) and the same parameters were also determined in these groups. Cardiac tissue MAO activities (p

Biological damage mediated by reactive oxygen species has been increasingly recognized in aging phenomena in recent decades. The increase in catecholamine metabolism is yet another physiological change in aging, predisposing the organism to supranormal hydrogen peroxide produc-tion as a by-product. This study was undertaken to investigate the alterations in oxidant- antioxidant status in rat cardiac tissue during aging. The effects of acute administration of monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors on this status were also investigated to find possible preventive strategies in conjugate aging. MAO activities, malondialdehyde MDA and diene conjugate levels as well as superoxide dismutase and catalase activities were determined in the cardiac tissues of young and aging groups, each consisting of 10 rats. MAO inhibitors (deprenyl and pargy-line) were administered to another two groups of young and aging animals (10 in each group) and the same parameters were also determined in these groups. Cardiac tissue MAO activities (p