title: Effect of S-adenosylmethionine on age-induced hepatocyte damage in old Wistar rats.
abstract: Aging is accompanied by changes in the morphology and physiology of organs and tissues, such as the liver. This process might be due to the accumulation of oxidative damage induced by reactive oxygen (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS). Hepatocytes are very rich in mitochondria and have a high respiratory rate, so they are exposed to large amounts of ROS and permanent oxidative stress. S-Adenosylmethionine (SAMe) is an endogenous metabolite that has shown to exert protective effects on different experimental pathological models in which free radicals are involved. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of SAMe on age-induced damage in hepatocytes. For this purpose, male and female Wistar rats of 18 and 2 months of age were used. Cells were isolated and, after incubation in the presence or in the absence of SAMe, different parameters were measured. Aging induced a significant increase in nitric oxide, carbon monoxide and cGMP, and a reduction in reduced glutathione, ATP and phosphatidylcholine synthesis, as well as in methionine- adenosyl-transferase and methyl-transferase activities. Incubation of old cells with SAMe prevented all these age-related changes, reaching values in some of the parameters similar to those found in young animals. In conclusion, SAMe seems to have beneficial effects against age-induced damage in hepatocytes.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Experimental Endocrinology, Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Complutense University, Avda. Complutense s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Castillo
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Salazar
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ariznavarreta
authors.forename: Mariana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fossati
authors.forename: Jesus A F
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Tresguerres
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vara
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology*; D000818:Animals; D002248:Carbon Monoxide / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008716:Methionine Adenosyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D008780:Methyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012436:S-Adenosylmethionine / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D020011:Protective Agents; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D012436:S-Adenosylmethionine; D002248:Carbon Monoxide; D008780:Methyltransferases; D008716:Methionine Adenosyltransferase; D005978:Glutathione