Copper-dependent changes on lipid composition of various rat tissues

ARNAL NATHALIE; ASTIZ MARIANA; HURTADO DE CATALFO GRACIELA; TACCONI DE ALANIZ M.J. ; MARRA CARLLOS ALBERTO

San Luis

Congreso; XLVII Reunión Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Bioquímica y Biología Molecular; 2011

Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Bioquímica y Biología Molecular

Copper (Cu) availability is involved in atherosclerosis and neurodegeneration through changes in the antioxidant defense system (AS). We studied the AS in plasma, brain, liver, testis, hearth, lungs and intestine of Wistar rats fed a semi-synthetic diet Cu-deficient and with different doses of the metal (7 to 35 ppm) added to food and water, or injected intraperitoneally for 5 weeks. Total glutathione (at expense of GSSG) increased in response to Cu overload in all the tissues. Nitric oxide and protein carbonyls were increased (especially in liver). Lipid peroxidation (TBARS) was important in brain, as well as in liver, testis and intestine. Metallothioneins were increased in intestine and liver -and to a lesser extent in the other tissues- while cerulloplasmin increased in all the tissues in a similar magnitude. Glutathione reductase, -peroxidase and catalase were activated by Cu overload in all the tissues being the effect more important in the intraperitoneally-injected rats than in the orally treated ones. Cu deficiency decreased glutathione peroxidase and superoxidodismutase activities. Ferric reducing ability of plasma and tocopherol levels was modified according with those damages observed in the AS. Results demonstrated that Cu overload caused more alterations than deficiency, and that the acquisition of the metal by parenteral route was more dangerous than the oral one.