TABLE 2.
Red blood cell concentrations in young control (unsupplemented) and elderly (before and after supplementation with glutathione precursors) subjects1
| Young control subjects (n = 8) | Elderly subjects (n = 8) |
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| Variable | Before supplementation | After supplementation | |
| Glycine (μmol/L) | 486.7 ± 28.32 | 218.0 ± 23.73 | 528.6 ± 33.5 |
| Cysteine (μmol/L) | 26.2 ± 1.44 | 19.8 ± 1.35 | 30.6 ± 2.2 |
| Glutamate (μmol/L) | 463.1 ± 69.0 | 464.0 ± 115.3 | — |
| GSSG (mmol/L) | 0.11 ± 0.044 | 0.15 ± 0.05 | 0.13 ± 0.05 |
| Glutathione:GSSG ratio | 18.9 ± 2.12 | 7.4 ± 2.36 | 16.1 ± 4.3 |
1
All values are means ± SEMs. GSSG, oxidized glutathione.
2,4
Significantly different from the elderly before supplementation (1-factor ANOVA and Bonferroni-corrected t tests):2 P < 0.01,4 P < 0.05.
3,5,6
Significantly different from the elderly after supplementation (1-factor ANOVA and Bonferroni-corrected t tests): 3P < 0.001,5 P < 0.01,6 P < 0.05.