Effects of ethanol and propylthiouracil on hepatic iron and copper contents in the male albino mouse.
With the aim to analyze whether propylthiouracil (PTU) alters ethanol-induced changes in liver iron and copper contents, 40 male albino mice were equally divided into a control group, an ethanol-treated group, a PTU-treated group and an ethanol + PTU-treated group. Twenty animals were killed at the age of 85 days and 20 at the age of 180 days. Liver iron and copper contents showed a progressive, statistically non-significant increase both in the controls and in ethanol-treated animals. Liver iron contents was significantly higher in the 180-day-old alcoholic mice as compared with controls. Animals treated either with PTU or with PTU + ethanol showed liver iron levels in the normal range, markedly different from the ethanol-treated animals (P less than 0.005). Liver copper content of the ethanol-treated animals was higher (but not significantly) than that of the controls. Liver copper levels of the PTU + ethanol-treated animals were in the range of the ethanol-treated animals. Thus, PTU seems to revert an overload of ethanol-mediated iron of copper.
Gonzálex-Reimers
E
E
Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain.
Santolaria-Fernández
F
F
Hernández-Torres
O
O
Castro-Alemán
V
V
Galindo-Martín
L
L
Rodríguez-Moreno
F
F
Ferres-Torres
R
R
D000437:Alcoholism / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D003300:Copper / Q000032:analysis*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007501:Iron / Q000032:analysis*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D011441:Propylthiouracil / Q000494:pharmacology*
D000431:Ethanol; D011441:Propylthiouracil; D003300:Copper; D007501:Iron