Antioxidative defense organization in retroperitoneal white adipose tissue during acclimation to cold—The involvement of l-arginine/NO pathway

Abstract

1. Retroperitoneal white adipose tissue (RpWAT) antioxidative defense was investigated in untreated, l-arginine-treated and N ω -nitro- l-arginine methyl ester ( l-NAME)-treated rats kept at 4±1 °C (1, 3, 7, 12, 21 and 45 days) and compared to control rats at 22±1 °C. 2. Cold-acclimation-induced RpWAT weight decrease was accompanied by a decline in glutathione level and increased activity of manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), glutathione S-transferase (GST), catalase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase at different time-points. 3. l-arginine accelerated RpWAT weight decrease, the increase in MnSOD and GST activities and the prolonged increase of catalase, MnSOD and GST activities. l-NAME delayed cold-induced catalase activity increase and tissue weight decrease. Prolonged l-NAME-treatment had a similar effect on RpWAT as l-arginine. 4. Results suggest the involvement of l-arginine/NO pathway in RpWAT oxidative metabolic augmentation induced by cold-acclimation.