title: Nickel deficiency alters liver lipid metabolism in rats.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Ernährungsphysiologie der Technischen Universität München-Weihenstephan, Freising, Germany.
authors.forename: G I
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Stangl
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kirchgessner
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: 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