Ethane exhalation and vitamin E/ubiquinol status as markers of lipid peroxidation in ferrocene iron-loaded rats.
Organ damage caused by iron overload has been mostly attributed to iron-induced peroxidation of membrane lipids. Using the ferrocene iron-loaded rat model, we studied ethane exhalation as a direct marker of in vivo lipid peroxidation, as well as concentrations of alpha-tocopherol and ubiquinol 9/10 in liver and plasma as indirect markers of this process. The feeding of a diet enriched with 0.5% TMH-ferrocene up to 31 weeks resulted in a large increase in liver iron concentration to about 25 mg/g wet weight (w wt). At lower, predominantly hepatocellular liver siderosis, the breath ethane exhalation was dependent on dietary vitamin E (VitE) supplements (onset of ethane exhalation at liver-Fe > 2 mg/g w wt on vitE-restricted diet; > 5 mg Fe per gram on VitE-replete diet). At severe liver siderosis, breath ethane exhalation reached a maximum of approximately 8 nmol/kg/hr independent of VitE supplementation. Plasma as well as hepatic alpha-tocopherol decreased with progressive iron loading. In addition, a significant depletion in hepatic ubiquinol 9 and 10 was noted.
Dresow
B
B
Abteilung Medizinische Biochemie, Physiologisch-Chemisches Institut, Universitätskrankenhaus, Hamburg, Germany.
Albert
C
C
Zimmermann
I
I
Nielsen
P
P
D000818:Animals; D004980:Ethane / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005296:Ferrous Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D000075163:Metallocenes; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014451:Ubiquinone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000032:analysis*
D005296:Ferrous Compounds; D000075163:Metallocenes; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D014451:Ubiquinone; D014810:Vitamin E; D007501:Iron; D004980:Ethane; C003741:ubiquinol; C004998:ferrocene