Abstract
Chronic ethanol intoxication oxidative stress participates in the development of many diseases. Nutrition and the interaction of food nutrients with ethanol metabolism may modulate alcohol toxicity. One such compound is blackcurrant, which also has antioxidant abilities. We investigated the effect of blackcurrant as an antioxidant on the composition and electrical charge of liver cell membranes in ethanol-intoxicated rats. Qualitative and quantitative phospholipid composition and the presence of integral membrane proteins were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Electrophoresis was used to determine the surface charge density of the rat liver cell membranes. Ethanol intoxication is characterized by changes in cell metabolism that alter the structure and function of cell membrane components. Ethanol increased phospholipid levels and altered the level of integral proteins as determined by decreased phenylalanine, cysteine, and lysine. Ethanol significantly enhanced changes in the surface charge density of the liver cell membranes. Administration of blackcurrant to rats intoxicated with ethanol significantly protected lipids and proteins against oxidative modifications. It is possible that the beneficial effect of blackcurrant is connected with its abilities to scavenge free radicals and to chelate metal ions.
Highlights
Chronic ethanol intoxication oxidative stress participates in the development of many diseases
In the rats treated with blackcurrant alone and the control rats, no essential differences were observed in the phospholipid content
Ethanol intoxication causes a wide variety of metabolic disorders in human and animals, mainly caused by free radicals, and hydroxyl radicals in particular
Summary
Chronic ethanol intoxication oxidative stress participates in the development of many diseases. Nutrition and the interaction of food nutrients with ethanol metabolism may modulate alcohol toxicity One such compound is blackcurrant, which has antioxidant abilities. We investigated the effect of blackcurrant as an antioxidant on the composition and electrical charge of liver cell membranes in ethanol-intoxicated rats. Ethanol intoxication is characterized by changes in cell metabolism that alter the structure and function of cell membrane components. Ethanol significantly enhanced changes in the surface charge density of the liver cell membranes. Administration of blackcurrant to rats intoxicated with ethanol significantly protected lipids and proteins against oxidative modifications. The oxidative stress induced by chronic ethanol consumption has been implicated in changes in the structure and function of liver cell components, including membrane phospholipids and proteins. Especially of unsaturated lipids, disrupts the important structural and protective functions associated with
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