Aging is defined as the accumulation of progressive organ dysfunction. There is much evidence linking the involvement of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of aging. With increasing age, susceptibility to the development of diseases related to lipid peroxidation and tissue injury increases, due to chronic inflammatory processes, and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and free radicals. The paraoxonase (PON) gene family is composed of three members (PON1, PON2, PON3) that share considerable structural homology and are located adjacently on chromosome 7 in humans. The most studied member product is PON1, a protein associated with high-density lipoprotein with paraoxonase/esterase activity. Nevertheless, all the three proteins prevent oxidative stress. The major aim of this review is to highlight the importance of the role of PON enzymes in the aging process, and in the development of the main diseases present in the elderly: cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer.
Keywords: PON; aging; atherosclerosis; cancer; diabetes; heart disease; lipid peroxidation; lipids; neurodegenerative diseases; paraoxonase.