Long-Term Ovariectomy Effect on Plasma Glucose,Lipids,Antioxidant Vitamins, and Lipid Peroxides: Relationship with Aortic Cholesterol and Fatty Acid Distribution in Rats.

Abstract

This study was performed to determine plasma lipid changes and antioxidant status in relation to cholesterol content and fatty acid distribution in the aorta of rats after long-term ovariectomy (OV). After 12 months, OV induced in rat plasma a significant increase in glucose, total cholesterol, and triglycerides compared with the corresponding values for the control rats (C) of the same age (p<0.0005, p<0.005, p<0.000S, respectively). These changes were associated with a significant increase in lipid peroxide level (p<0.05) and a significant decrease in vitamin E in the plasma from group OV compared with the group C level (p<0.0001). Conversely, OV after 7 and 12 months induced a significant increase in vitamin C (p<0.001, p<0.0001, respectively). Concerning plasma fatty acid distribution, after 12 months, OV caused a significant increase in gamma and dihomo gamma linolenic acid (p<0.0005, p<0.05, respectively). These changes were associated with a significant increase in aortic cholesterol in group OV (p<0.0005), and a significant decrease in the percentage of arachidonic acid (p<0.005) and of the total amount of fatty acids of the n-3 series (p<0.0001) and plasmalogen fatty acids (C16:0, p<0.005; C 18:0, p<0.05) compared with the corresponding values for group C. These results show that OV induced, independently of any effects of aging, plasma-specific lipid alterations with dysregulation of oxidative status, which could be crucial in the development of atherothrombotic disease.