Young
and geriatric healthy female Beagle dogs were fed 0 or 20 mg astaxanthin daily
for 16 weeks to examine modulation of mitochondrial function. Fasted blood was
sampled at weeks 0, 8 and 16. Mitochondria membrane permeability, ATP
production, cytochrome c oxidase/reductase and number were assessed in
leukocytes, while astaxanthin uptake, glutathione, superoxide dismutase, nitric
oxide, 8-hydroxy-2’-deoxyguanosine, 8-isoprostane and protein carbonyl were
measured in plasma.
Aging
increased complex III cytochrome c oxidoreductase but decreased 8-hydroxy-2’-deoxyguanosine
and protein carbonyl. Mitochondrial function improved in both young and geriatric dogs by increasing ATP production, mitochondria mass and cytochrome c
oxidoreductase activity, especially in geriatric dogs compared with young dogs.
Astaxanthin feeding also increased the reduced glutathione to oxidized
glutathione ratio in young dogs and decreased nitric oxide in both young and
geriatric dogs.
Dietary
astaxanthin improved mitochondrial function in blood leukocytes, most likely by
alleviating oxidative damage to cellular DNA and protein.
Source: J.S. Park et al., 2012. Astaxanthin modulates
age-associated mitochondrial dysfunction in healthy dogs. J Anim Sci online October 2012. doi: 10.2527/jas.2012-5341J