High dietary iron concentrations enhance the formation of cholesterol oxidation products in the liver of adult rats fed salmon oil with minimal effects on antioxidant status

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of high dietary iron concentrations on the antioxidant status of rats fed two different types of fat. Four groups of male adult Sprague-Dawley rats were fed diets with adequate (50 mg iron supplemented per kg diet) or high (500 mg iron supplemented per kg diet) iron concentrations with either lard or salmon oil as dietary fat at 100 g/kg for 12 wk. The antioxidant status of the rats was profoundly influenced by the type of fat. Rats fed salmon oil diets had higher concentrations of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) (P < 0.001), various cholesterol oxidation products (COP) (P < 0.001), total and oxidized glutathione (P < 0.05) and a lower concentration of alpha-tocopherol (P < 0.05) in liver and plasma than rats fed lard diets. The iron concentration of the diet did not influence the concentrations of TBARS, the activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase or the concentration of alpha-tocopherol in plasma or liver. The activity of catalase (P < 0.01) and the concentrations of total, oxidized and reduced glutathione (P < 0.05) in liver were slightly but significantly higher in rats fed high iron diets than in rats fed adequate iron diets, irrespective of the dietary fat. Rats fed the high iron diets with salmon oil, moreover, had higher concentrations of various COP in the liver (P < 0.001) than rats fed adequate iron diets with salmon oil. These results suggest that feeding a high iron diet does not generally affect the antioxidant status of rats but enhances the formation of COP, particularly if the diet is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids.     

Dietary oxidized cholesterol increases expression and activity of antioxidative enzymes and reduces the concentration of glutathione in the liver of rats

An experiment was conducted with rats to investigate the effect of dietary oxidized cholesterol on the antioxidant status. Four groups of male, growing Sprague-Dawley rats received diets containing unoxidized or oxidized cholesterol (5 g/kg diet) with either coconut oil or salmon oil as dietary fat (100 g/kg diet) for 5 weeks. The oxidized cholesterol preparation consisted of 7 g of various cholesterol oxidation products and 93 g of unmodified cholesterol per 100 g preparation. No significant amounts of oxysterols were detected in the unoxidized cholesterol-supplemented diets. As parameters of the antioxidant status activities, mRNA concentrations of several antioxidative enzymes and the concentrations of glutathione were measured. Rats fed the diets containing oxidized cholesterol had significantly higher mRNA concentrations of glutathione peroxidase (p < 0.001) and superoxide dismutase (p < 0.01), a significantly higher activity of glutathione peroxidase (p < 0.001), and significantly lower concentrations of total (p < 0.05) and reduced glutathione (p < 0.01) in the liver than rats fed diets containing unoxidized cholesterol. These effects were independent of the dietary fat. In conclusion, the study suggests that dietary oxidized cholesterol stresses the antioxidant defense system in rats.     

Clofibrate treatment up-regulates novel organic cation transporter (OCTN)-2 in tissues of pigs as a model of non-proliferating species

Recent studies have shown that treatment of rodents with agonists of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-alpha causes an up-regulation of novel organic cation transporter (OCTN)-2, a carnitine transporter, and increases carnitine concentration in the liver. This study was performed to investigate whether such effects occur also in pigs which like humans have a lower expression of PPAR alpha and are less responsive to treatment with PPAR alpha agonists than rodents. An experiment with 18 pigs was performed which were fed a control diet or the same diet supplemented with 5 g clofibrate/kg for 28 days. Pigs treated with clofibrate had higher relative mRNA concentrations of OCTN2 in liver (3.1-fold), skeletal muscle (1.5-fold) and epithelial cells from small intestine (1.8-fold) than control pigs (P<0.05). Pigs treated with clofibrate had also higher concentrations of free and total carnitine in the liver and a higher concentration of free carnitine in skeletal muscle than control pigs (P<0.05). Concentrations of gamma-butyrobetaine, the precursor of endogenous formation of carnitine, in liver, muscle and plasma did not differ between both groups; the activity of gamma-butyrobetaine dioxygenase, the rate limiting enzyme of carnitine synthesis, in the liver was lower in pigs treated with clofibrate than in control pigs (P<0.05). This study shows for the first time that treatment with a PPAR alpha agonist causes an up-regulation of OCTN2 in liver, muscle and enterocytes from small intestine of pigs. This in turn increases carnitine concentrations in liver and muscle probably by enhancing carnitine uptake into cells.     

Dietary oxidized fat prevents ethanol-induced triacylglycerol accumulation and increases expression of PPARalpha target genes in rat liver

Alcoholic fatty liver results from an impaired fatty acid catabolism due to blockade of PPARalpha and increased lipogenesis due to activation of sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP)-1c. Because both oxidized fats (OF) and conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) have been demonstrated in rats to activate hepatic PPARalpha, we tested the hypothesis that these fats are able to prevent ethanol-induced triacylglycerol accumulation in the liver by upregulation of PPARalpha-responsive genes. Forty-eight male rats were assigned to 6 groups and fed isocaloric liquid diets containing either sunflower oil (SFO) as a control fat, OF prepared by heating of SFO, or CLA, in the presence and absence of ethanol, for 4 wk. Administration of ethanol lowered mRNA concentrations of PPARalpha and the PPARalpha-responsive genes medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase, long chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase, acyl-CoA oxidase, carnitine palmitoyl-CoA transferase I, and cytochrome P450 4A1 and increased triacylglycerol concentrations in the liver (P < 0.05). OF increased hepatic mRNA concentrations of PPARalpha-responsive genes and lowered hepatic triacylglycerol concentrations compared with SFO (P < 0.05) whereas CLA did not. Rats fed OF with ethanol had similar mRNA concentrations of PPARalpha-responsive genes and similar triacylglycerol concentrations in the liver as rats fed SFO or CLA without ethanol. In contrast, hepatic mRNA concentrations of SREBP-1c and fatty acid synthase were not altered by OF or CLA compared with SFO. This study shows that OF prevents an alcohol-induced triacylglycerol accumulation in rats possibly by upregulation of hepatic PPARalpha-responsive genes involved in oxidation of fatty acids, whereas CLA does not exert such an effect.     

Conjugated linoleic acids exert similar actions on prostanoid release from aortic and coronary artery smooth muscle cells

Conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs) are biologically active lipid compounds exerting anti-atherogenic actions in vivo without exact knowledge about the underlying mechanisms. Recently, CLAs were shown to lower the release of vasoactive prostanoids from vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) which play a central role in atherosclerosis. Since SMCs from different vascular locations were shown to exert differential actions in response to a common stimulus, the present study aimed to explore potential differential effects of CLA isomers on the release of the prostanoids PGE2 and PGI2 from coronary artery and aortic SMCs. For this purpose, human aortic and coronary artery SMCs were incubated with 5 and 50 micromol/L of cis-9, trans-11 CLA and trans-10, cis-12 CLA for 24 hours and analyzed for fatty acid composition and the release of prostaglandins E2 and I2 (PGE2 and PGI2). Incubations were performed in the absence (basal conditions) and in the presence of 10 ng/mL of the cytokine tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha) (cytokine-stimulated conditions). Fatty acid analysis revealed a similar degree of incorporation of CLA isomers and dose-dependent reduction of arachidonic acid in total cell lipids of both types of vascular SMCs following treatment with CLA. The release of PGE2 and PGI2 was dose-dependently inhibited by either CLA isomer from both types of vascular SMCs. The inhibitory potential of CLA isomers on the release of prostanoids was slightly different between basal and cytokine-stimulated conditions. In conclusion, the present findings suggest that the action of CLA isomers on the release of vasoactive prostanoids from vascular SMCs is largely independent of the vascular location; e.g., coronary arteries or systemic vasculature (aorta), but partially depends on the pathophysiological status of SMCs. The observed anti-inflammatory effect of CLAs may contribute to the anti-atherogenic actions of CLA.     

Dietary conjugated linoleic acids lower the triacylglycerol concentration in the milk of lactating rats and impair the growth and increase the mortality of their suckling pups

Recent studies showed that conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) lower triacylglycerol concentrations in the milk of lactating animals. This study was performed to determine the reasons for this phenomenon; we also investigated whether there is a relation between altered lipid metabolism in the liver and the reduction in milk triacylglycerols in rats fed CLA. Two groups of female rats were fed diets containing 0 [sunflower oil (SFO) group] or 14.7 g/kg diet of a CLA mixture (CLA group) at the expense of sunflower oil during growth, pregnancy, and lactation. CLA-fed rats had 49 and 80% lower mRNA concentration and activity of fatty acid synthase, respectively, a 51% lower mRNA concentration of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) in their mammary glands at d 17 of lactation, and a 46% lower milk fat content than SFO rats (P < 0.05). Although CLA rats had lower concentrations of triacylglycerols in the liver than SFO rats (20.8 +/- 2.6 vs. 62.6 +/- 27.7 micromol/g, P < 0.05), concentrations of triglycerides in plasma, which are the substrates of LPL, did not differ between the groups. Moreover, the number of pups per litter, litter weights, and pup weights at d 17 of lactation were 41, 35, and 22% lower, respectively, in the CLA group than in the SFO group. In conclusion, the present study suggests that dietary CLA reduces triacylglycerol concentrations in the milk via reduced de novo fatty acid synthesis in the mammary gland and an impaired uptake of fatty acids from lipoproteins into the mammary gland. This might be the reason for reduced growth rates and an increased mortality of suckling pups.