Determination of Superoxide Dismutase Activity by the Polarographic Method of Catalytic Currents in the Cerebrospinal Fluid of Aging Brain and Neurologic Degenerative Diseases

Abstract

The activity of the superoxide dismutase was measured by the polarographic method of catalytic currents in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with age-related neurologic degenerative diseases, namely, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease, and of a reference group of normal subjects. The superoxide dismutase activity was found to increase with age in reference subjects (r = 0.81) while no significant correlation was found in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease patients. The activity mean values were significantly lower (P < 0.01) in patients with neurologic degenerative diseases than in the reference subjects. The changes of superoxide dismutase activity in the aging brain and in age-related neurologic degenerative diseases are discussed.