VITAMIN A SUPPLEMENTATION INDUCES OXIDATIVE STRESS AND DECREASES THE IMMUNOCONTENT OF CATALASE AND SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE IN RAT LUNGS

• Published in: Experimental lung research 2009, Vol.35 (5), p.427-438
• Main Authors: Pasquali, Matheus A. B., Gelain, Daniel P., Oliveira, Marcos R., Behr, Guilherme A., Motta, Leonardo L., Rocha, Ricardo F., Klamt, Fábio, Moreira, José C. F.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Catalase - metabolism; Dietary Supplements - toxicity; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Immunoblotting; Lipid Peroxidation - drug effects; lung; Lung - drug effects; Lung - enzymology; Male; Oxidation-Reduction; oxidative stress; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; Protein Carbonylation - drug effects; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Sulfhydryl Compounds - metabolism; Superoxide Dismutase - metabolism; vitamin A; Vitamin A - pharmacology; Vitamin A - toxicity
• ISSN: 0190-2148; 1521-0499
• DOI: 10.1080/01902140902747436

Lungs require an adequate supply of vitamin A for normal embryonic development, postnatal maturation, and maintenance and repair during adult life. However, recent intervention studies revealed that supplementation with retinoids resulted in a higher incidence of lung cancer, although the mechanisms underlying this effect are still unknown. Here, the authors studied the effect of vitamin A supplementation on oxidative stress parameters in lungs of Wistar rats. Vitamin A supplementation either at therapeutic (1000 and 2500 IU/kg) or excessive (4500 and 9000 IU/kg) doses for 28 days induced lipid peroxidation, protein carbonylation, and oxidation of protein thiol groups, as well as change in catalase (EC 1.11.1.6; CAT) and superoxide dismutase (EC 1.15.1.1, SOD) activities and immunocontents. These results altogether suggest that vitamin A supplementation causes significant changes in redox balance the free radical status in lungs, which are frequently associated to severe lung dysfunction.