title: Dietary iron concentration may influence aging process by altering oxidative stress in tissues of adult rats.
abstract: Iron is an essential element. However, in its free form, iron participates in redox-reactions, leading to the production of free radicals that increase oxidative stress and the risk of damaging processes. Living organisms have an efficient mechanism that regulates iron absorption according to their iron content to protect against oxidative damage. The effects of restricted and enriched-iron diets on oxidative stress and aging biomarkers were investigated. Adult Wistar rats were fed diets containing 10, 35 or 350 mg/kg iron (adult restricted-iron, adult control-iron and adult enriched-iron groups, respectively) for 78 days. Rats aged two months were included as a young control group. Young control group showed higher hemoglobin and hematocrit values, lower levels of iron and lower levels of MDA or carbonyl in the major studied tissues than the adult control group. Restricted-iron diet reduced iron concentrations in skeletal muscle and oxidative damage in the majority of tissues and also increased weight loss. Enriched-iron diet increased hematocrit values, serum iron, gamma-glutamyl transferase, iron concentrations and oxidative stress in the majority of tissues. As expected, young rats showed higher mRNA levels of heart and hepatic L-Ferritin (Ftl) and kidneys SMP30 as well as lower mRNA levels of hepatic Hamp and interleukin-1 beta (Il1b) and also lower levels of liver protein ferritin. Restricted-iron adult rats showed an increase in heart Ftl mRNA and the enriched-iron adult rats showed an increase in liver nuclear factor erythroid derived 2 like 2 (Nfe2l2) and Il1b mRNAs and in gut divalent metal transporter-1 mRNA (Slc11a2) relative to the control adult group. These results suggest that iron supplementation in adult rats may accelerate aging process by increasing oxidative stress while iron restriction may retards it. However, iron restriction may also impair other physiological processes that are not associated with aging.
authors.affiliation: Health Sciences Faculty, Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil. fernandeslfarruda@gmail.com
authors.forename: Lorena Fernandes
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Arruda
authors.forename: Sandra Fernandes
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Arruda
authors.forename: Natália Aboudib
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Campos
authors.forename: Fernando Fortes
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: de Valencia
authors.forename: Egle Machado de Almeida
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Siqueira
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002265:Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D005293:Ferritins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D064451:Hepcidins; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019266:Iron, Dietary / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D051267:NF-E2-Related Factor 2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000187:drug effects; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D050050:Protein Carbonylation / Q000187:drug effects; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; C578703:Hamp protein, rat; D064451:Hepcidins; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D019266:Iron, Dietary; D051267:NF-E2-Related Factor 2; C495637:Nfe2l2 protein, rat; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D005293:Ferritins; D002265:Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases; C513325:Rgn protein, rat