title: Increased oxidative stress and hypozincemia in male obesity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Antioxidants protect an organism from the detrimental effects of free radicals via scavenging or inhibiting their formation. Alterations in the levels of antioxidants and several essential trace elements in the plasma and various tissues of ob/ob mice have been reported previously. The aim of this study was to investigate oxidative status and trace elements in obese individuals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-six obese men (body mass index (BMI) > 30 kg/m(2)) and 24 healthy, age-matched male control volunteers were enrolled in the study. Fasting plasma insulin, glucose, triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol, VLDL, and HDL levels, erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and copper zinc-superoxide dismutase (CuZn-SOD) activities, and erythrocyte thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels were measured in both groups. Erythrocyte copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe) levels were also measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that the mean Cu and Fe levels in obese individuals were not significantly different than those in the control group, whereas the mean Zn levels were significantly lower than those of the control group (p = 0.023). The mean erythrocyte CuZn-SOD and GSH-Px levels in obese individuals were significantly lower than those in controls (p = 0.001) whereas erythrocyte TBARS levels were significantly higher (p = 0.001) than those of the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that male obesity is associated with defective antioxidant status and hypozincemia, which may have implications in the development of obesity related health problems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Gulhane School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. mozata@gata.edu.tr
authors.forename: Metin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ozata
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mergen
authors.forename: Cagatay
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Oktenli
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aydin
authors.forename: S Yavuz
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Sanisoglu
authors.forename: Erol
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bolu
authors.forename: M Ilker
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sayal
authors.forename: Askin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Isimer
authors.forename: I Caglayan
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Ozdemir
mesh_terms: D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000378:metabolism*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology*; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000097:blood; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000378:metabolism; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood* / Q000172:deficiency
chemical_list: D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D015032:Zinc