Interaction of exercise and ethanol on hepatic and plasma antioxidant system in rat

Abstract

This study was undertaken in order to determine the effects of exercise and ethanol consumption on antioxidant system in rat liver and plasma. Male Fisher-344 rats were treated as follows: (1) sedentary control (SC); (2) acute exercise (AE); (3) ethanol 20% (1.6 g/kg, p.o.); and (4) AE and ethanol administration. Animals were sacrificed and plasma and liver were isolated and analyzed for antioxidant enzyme, glutathione and lipid peroxidation. In liver, AE significantly elevated SOD and GSH-Px activity and slightly increased MDA level. Ethanol significantly decreased SOD, CAT, and GR activity (69, 74, and 77% of SC) respectively, and also depleted GSSG level (61% of SC) in liver. AE plus ethanol significantly decreased SOD activity 976% of SC), GSH and GSSG levels (85 and 72% of SC) in liver. In plasma, AE significantly enhanced GR activity (173% of SC). Ethanol decreased CAT, GSH-Px, and GR activity (41, 75 and 57% of SC) respectively and lowered MDA level (80% of SC) in plasma. AE plus ethanol significantly decreased CAT and GSH-Px activity (7% and 45% of SC) and increased SOD activity (160% of SC) in plasma. The data indicate that the combination of AE and ethanol ameliorated the changes in hepatic antioxidant enzyme activities, and enhanced the depletion of hepatic glutathione. The ratios of CAT/SOD, GSH-Px/SOD and GR/GSH-Px in plasma almost doubled due to acute exercise whereas CAT/SOD ratio decreased 20-fold due to alcohol consumption which may be used as an index of exercise and alcohol-induced oxidative stress.