Diet supplementation with iron augments brain oxidative stress status in a rat model of psychological stress

• Published in: Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.) Los Angeles County, Calif.), 2011-10, Vol.27 (10), p.1048-1052
• Main Authors: Yu, Siyu, M.Sc, Feng, Yan, M.Sc, Shen, Zhilei, M.Sc, Li, Min, Ph.D
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Absorption; Animal models; Animals; Apparent iron absorption; Biological and medical sciences; Brain; Brain - drug effects; Brain - metabolism; Diet; dietary mineral supplements; Dietary Supplements; dosage; enzyme activity; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Food; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gastroenterology and Hepatology; glutathione; Glutathione - metabolism; Intestinal Absorption - drug effects; Iron; Iron - administration & dosage; Iron - metabolism; Iron - pharmacology; iron absorption; Iron Overload; Iron supplementation; Iron, Dietary - administration & dosage; Iron, Dietary - metabolism; lipid peroxidation; Male; malondialdehyde; Malondialdehyde - metabolism; Oxidative stress; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; Peroxidation; Psychological stress; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Stress, Psychological - metabolism; superoxide dismutase; Superoxide Dismutase - metabolism; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Yeast
• ISSN: 0899-9007; 1873-1244
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nut.2010.11.007

Abstract Objective We investigated the influence of iron supplementation on brain oxidative stress and antioxidase activity in psychologically stressed rats. Methods Rats were maintained on diets with different iron doses for 1 wk, and all other constituents of the diet were equated exactly according to the AIN-93-G diet. At the end of the experimental period, rats were sacrificed and brains were collected. To evaluate the effect of iron consumption, serum iron, apparent iron absorption, levels of iron concentration, lipid peroxidation, reduced glutathione, and superoxide dismutase activities of brains were measured. Results Iron overload significantly elevated the level of iron content and malonaldehyde in rat brain, especially in the psychologically stressed group. Apparent iron absorption was decreased by increased iron supplementation in rats treated with psychological stress more than in control rats. Similarly, iron overload decreased superoxide dismutase activity and apparent iron absorption more significantly in psychologically stressed rats than in controls. Reduced glutathione level varied with diet, increasing in rats on a moderately high-iron diet but decreasing in rats on a extremely high-level iron diet. Conclusion These results demonstrated that iron overload augments brain oxidative stress status and aggravates the decrease of apparent iron absorption in a rat model of psychological stress.