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Direct correlation of glutathione and ascorbate and their dependence on age and season in human lymphocytes^1,2,3

¹ From the Centre de Recherche, Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada, and Unité de Recherche Pulmonaire, Centre de Santé de l'Estrie, Fleurimont, Canada.

Background: Endogenous reactive oxygen species appear to contribute to aging and cancer and dietary antioxidants, present in fruit and vegetables, counteract these effects.

Objective: The objective was to examine the association between intracellular glutathione, ascorbate (vitamin C), and -tocopherol (vitamin E) in human lymphocytes.

Design: The study group consisted of 240 healthy nonsmoking volunteers with an approximately equal number of male and female subjects subdivided into 3 age groups: 18–39, 40–59, and 60 y). Glutathione, glutathione disulfide, ascorbate, and -tocopherol were measured in lymphocytes by HPLC.

Results: The average concentration of antioxidants in lymphocytes was 27 ± 8 nmol/mg protein for glutathione, 21 ± 8 nmol/mg protein for ascorbate, and 0.4 ± 0.2 nmol/mg protein for -tocopherol. There was a strong positive correlation between glutathione and ascorbate (r = 0.62, P < 0.001). No correlation was observed for glutathione and ascorbate with -tocopherol. The concentration of glutathione in lymphocytes was inversely correlated with age (r = -0.19, P < 0.01), as was that of ascorbate (r = -0.22, P < 0.01), with 10–20% lower values in elderly than in young and elderly subjects. The concentrations of glutathione in lymphocytes were as much as 25% higher and those of ascorbate were as much as 38% higher during the summer than during the winter. The seasonal variation of ascorbate in lymphocytes was described by a linear function for age and a periodic sine function for season.

Conclusion: Glutathione and ascorbate are directly correlated in human lymphocytes.

Key Words: Vitamin C • vitamin E • glutathione • lymphocytes • ascorbic acid • antioxidants • micronutrients • aging • elderly • cancer • reactive oxygen species • season

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