Influence of nutritional iron deficiency anemia on DNA stability and lipid peroxidation in rats.
OBJECTIVE
Oxidative stress results from an imbalance between the formation and neutralization of pro-oxidants. Disturbance of the pro-oxidant/antioxidant balance is also considered to be a causative factor underlying oxidative damage to cellular molecules, such as DNA, causing strand breaks. There is considerable controversy about the antioxidant status in iron-deficiency anemia (IDA), but scant information is available regarding DNA integrity. In the present study, we investigated the relation between DNA stability and hepatic antioxidant capacity in rats with induced IDA.


METHODS
Peripheral DNA damage was assessed using an alkaline comet assay. Further, the hepatic antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase and the production of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances were measured in control rats and in those with induced IDA.


RESULTS
Comparison of the control and anemic rats showed no differences in thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances production in the cytosolic fraction of hepatic cells. Nor were there any differences in liver glutathione peroxidase enzyme activity or DNA stability, as demonstrated by the percentage of DNA in the head (90.77 in control rats versus 88.23 in anemic rats), tail (9.23 in control rats versus 11.76 in anemic rats), and olive tail moment (0.155 in control rats versus 0.141 in anemic rats).


CONCLUSIONS
IDA does not affect DNA stability or lipid peroxidation in rats, suggesting that there is enough compensatory capacity to keep antioxidant defenses high.
Díaz-Castro
Javier
J
Department of Physiology and Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
Alférez
María J M
MJ
López-Aliaga
Inmaculada
I
Nestares
Teresa
T
Granados
Sergio
S
Barrionuevo
Mercedes
M
Campos
Margarita S
MS
D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D020552:Comet Assay / Q000379:methods; D004249:DNA Damage; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism*; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000502:physiology; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000378:metabolism*
D000975:Antioxidants; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase