Fig. 6
Brain antioxidant enzymes are downregulated by age and episodic inflammation. Real-time PCR analysis of gene expression was carried out with whole brain mRNA from young and aged mice, naïve (control) or after episodic systemic inflammation (SI). a SOD1 gene expression is significantly decreased in the brain of aged mice after SI. b SOD2 gene expression is not altered by age or SI. c Catalase gene expression is not altered by SI. Data were plotted as means ± SEM (N = 5 to 7 per group). d Chemical reactions of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) converting anion superoxide (O2−) into hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), oxygen (O2), and water (H2O). Statistical analysis with Mann Whitney test (*P < 0.05)