Nickel deficiency alters liver lipid metabolism in rats.
The present investigation was designed to examine the effect of nickel deficiency on lipid metabolism in liver and serum lipoproteins of rats. Therefore, a study over two generations was conducted feeding a nickel-deficient diet containing 13 microg/kg nickel or a nickel-adequate diet supplemented with 1 mg/kg nickel. Male 7-wk-old pups from the second offspring were studied. Pups fed a diet poor in nickel tended to have lower weight gains (P < 0.15), nickel concentrations in liver (P < or = 0.1) and iron levels in serum (P < 0.1) than nickel-adequate rats. They were classified as nickel-deficient on the basis of significantly lower erythrocyte counts, hemoglobin concentrations, hematocrits and nickel concentrations in kidney compared with nickel-adequate rats. Nickel deficiency caused a significant triacylglycerol accumulation in liver, with greater concentrations of saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, and polyunsaturated fatty acids than nickel-adequate rats. Nickel deficiency had slight but significant effects on the fatty acid composition of liver total lipids and phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine. Moreover, nickel-deficient rats had significantly lower activities of the lipogenic enzymes glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, malic enzyme and fatty acid synthase than nickel-adequate rats. Nickel-depleted pups had significantly higher concentrations of triacylglycerols and phospholipids in serum VLDL, and cholesterol in serum LDL than nickel-adequate pups. Most of these alterations in lipid metabolism are similar to those obtained in several iron-deficiency studies. Because nickel deficiency also slightly compromised iron status, it is possible that at least some of the observed alterations are due to the moderate iron deficiency.
Stangl
G I
GI
Institut für Ernährungsphysiologie der Technischen Universität München-Weihenstephan, Freising, Germany.
Kirchgessner
M
M
D001275:ATP Citrate (pro-S)-Lyase / Q000032:analysis; D000103:Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D004032:Diet; D064429:Fatty Acid Synthases / Q000032:analysis; D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated / Q000032:analysis; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005954:Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase / Q000032:analysis; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009532:Nickel / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D010734:Phosphogluconate Dehydrogenase / Q000032:analysis; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000502:physiology
D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D008055:Lipids; D010743:Phospholipids; D014280:Triglycerides; D009532:Nickel; D002784:Cholesterol; D007501:Iron; D010734:Phosphogluconate Dehydrogenase; D005954:Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase; D064429:Fatty Acid Synthases; D001275:ATP Citrate (pro-S)-Lyase; D000103:Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase