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Effect of iron overload and dietary fat on indices of oxidative stress and hepatic fibrogenesis in rats
Author(s) -
Brown Kyle E.,
Dennery Phyllis A.,
Ridnour Lisa A.,
Fimmel Claus J.,
Kladney Raleigh D.,
Brunt Elizabeth M.,
Spitz Douglas R.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
liver international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.873
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1478-3231
pISSN - 1478-3223
DOI - 10.1034/j.1600-0676.2003.00832.x
Subject(s) - oxidative stress , hepatic fibrosis , fibrosis , hydroxyproline , medicine , endocrinology , heme oxygenase , oxidative phosphorylation , polyunsaturated fatty acid , glutathione , antioxidant , chemistry , biochemistry , heme , fatty acid , enzyme
Background/Aims: Oxidative stress is presumed to play an important role in hepatic fibrogenesis. Diets high in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) enhance fibrosis and have been associated with increased oxidative damage in some models of liver injury. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of dietary fat of varying PUFA content on iron‐induced oxidative stress and fibrosis. Methods: Rats were given parenteral iron and diets supplemented with coconut oil, safflower oil or menhaden oil. Results: Hepatic iron overload was associated with induction of heme oxygenase‐1, a sensitive indicator of oxidative stress, and with modest increases in hydroxyproline and procollagen I mRNA levels without histologically evident fibrosis, all of which were unaffected by dietary fat. In addition, iron loading was associated with increases in cysteine, γ‐glutamylcysteine and glutathione. Dietary fat brought about the expected alterations in peroxidizability, but did not alter indices of oxidative damage. Conclusion: These data highlight the distinction between oxidative stress and oxidative damage and suggest that the former is not sufficient to elicit overt fibrosis. Furthermore, while hepatic iron overload leads to oxidative stress, there is an associated upregulation of antioxidant defenses involving thiol metabolism that may be a critical factor limiting the accumulation of oxidative damage.