Aging abolishes circadian rhythms and disrupts temporal organization of antioxidant-prooxidant status, endogenous clock activity and neurotrophin gene expression in the rat temporal cortex.

Disruption of circadian rhythms contributes to deficits in cognitive functions during aging. Up to date, the biochemical, molecular and chronobiological bases of such deterioration have not been completely elucidated. Here, we aim: 1) to investigate the endogenous nature of 24 h-rhythms of antioxidant defenses, oxidative stress, clocḱ's, and neurotrophic factors expression, in the rat temporal cortex (TC), and 2) to study the consequences of aging on the circadian organization of those factors.

Aging disrupts the temporal organization of antioxidant defenses in the heart of male rats and phase shifts circadian rhythms of systolic blood pressure.

Aging is one of the main risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, and oxidative stress is a key element responsible for the development of age-related pathologies. In addition, the alteration of circadian rhythms also contributes to cardiovascular pathology, but the underlying mechanisms are not well defined. We investigated the aging consequences on the temporal patterns of antioxidant defenses, the molecular clock machinery, and the blood pressure, in the heart of male rats maintained under constant darkness (free running) conditions.

Myocardial oxidative stress following sub-chronic and chronic oral cadmium exposure in rats.

We investigated the effect of oral cadmium intoxication on the antioxidant/prooxidant status in serum and heart. Wistar rats, separated into four groups, that received: (1) tap water for 60 days (control); (2), (3) and (4) Cd(2+) (15 ppm)-containing water, during 15, 30 and 60 days, respectively. Lipoperoxidation increased in serum and heart of group 4.