Effects of fraxetin on glutathione redox status.

We have evaluated the effects of an oral treatment of mice with fraxetin (25 mg/kg for 30 days) on the glutathione system (GSH, GSSG, and GSSG/GSH ratio as stress index), glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in liver supernatants from male C57BL/6J mice (18-month old). A significant antioxidant effect in vivo was found under this treatment by a decrease in the GSSG/GSH ratio and an increased activity of GR compared with the control mice. GSSG rate and GSSG/GSH ratio were correlated with the decline of GPx++ activity. Our results of increased GR activity could be considered as a supercompensation in glutathione redox status that involves a decrease in the accumulation of GSSG, as well as, in GSSG/GSH ratio. Finally, we suggest that this possible mechanism of supercompensation could lead to an enhancement in the average life span.