Dysregulation of hepatic iron with aging: implications for heat stress-induced oxidative liver injury

2008 ◽  
Vol 294 (4) ◽  
pp. R1165-R1174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven A. Bloomer ◽  
Kyle E. Brown ◽  
Garry R. Buettner ◽  
Kevin C. Kregel

Environmental heat stress is associated with an age-related increase in hepatic oxidative damage and an exaggerated state of oxidative stress. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the regulation of hepatic iron after heat stress. A secondary aim was to determine a potential role for iron in heat stress-induced liver injury. Hyperthermia-induced alterations in hepatic iron were evaluated in young (6 mo) and old (24 mo) Fischer 344 rats by exposing them to a two-heat stress protocol. Livers were harvested at several time points after the second heating and assayed for labile and nonheme iron. In the control condition, there was no difference in labile iron between age groups. Both labile iron and storage iron were not altered by hyperthermia in young rats, but both were increased immediately after heating in old rats. To evaluate a role for iron in liver injury, hepatic iron content was manipulated in young and old rats, and then both groups were exposed to heat stress. Iron administration to young rats significantly increased hepatic iron content and ferritin but did not affect markers of lipid peroxidation under control conditions or after heat stress. In old rats, iron chelation with deferoxamine prevented the increase in nonheme iron, labile iron, ferritin, and lipid peroxidation after heat stress. These results suggest that iron may play a role in hepatic injury after hyperthermia. Thus, dysregulation of iron may contribute to the gradual decline in cellular and physiological function that occurs with aging.

1999 ◽  
Vol 87 (1) ◽  
pp. 465-470 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Bejma ◽  
L. L. Ji

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are implicated in the mechanism of biological aging and exercise-induced oxidative damage. The present study examined the effect of an acute bout of exercise on intracellular ROS production, lipid and protein peroxidation, and GSH status in the skeletal muscle of young adult (8 mo, n = 24) and old (24 mo, n = 24) female Fischer 344 rats. Young rats ran on a treadmill at 25 m/min and 5% grade until exhaustion (55.4 ± 2.7 min), whereas old rats ran at 15 m/min and 5% grade until exhaustion (58.0 ± 2.7 min). Rate of dichlorofluorescin (DCFH) oxidation, an indication of ROS and other intracellular oxidants production in the homogenate of deep vastus lateralis, was 77% ( P < 0.01) higher in rested old vs. young rats. Exercise increased DCFH oxidation by 38% ( P < 0.09) and 50% ( P < 0.01) in the young and old rats, respectively. DCFH oxidation in isolated deep vastus lateralis mitochondria with site 1 substrates was elevated by 57% ( P < 0.01) in old vs. young rats but was unaltered with exercise. Significantly higher DCFH oxidation rate was also found in aged-muscle mitochondria ( P < 0.01), but not in homogenates, when ADP, NADPH, and Fe3+ were included in the assay medium without substrates. Lipid peroxidation in muscle measured by malondialdehyde content showed no age effect, but was increased by 20% ( P < 0.05) with exercise in both young and old rats. Muscle protein carbonyl formation was unaffected by either age or exercise. Mitochondrial GSH/ GSSG ratio was significantly higher in aged vs. young rats ( P < 0.05), whereas exercise increased GSSG content and decreased GSH/GSSG in both age groups ( P < 0.05). These data provided direct evidence that oxidant production in skeletal muscle is increased in old age and during prolonged exercise, with both mitochondrial respiratory chain and NADPH oxidase as potential sources. The alterations of muscle lipid peroxidation and mitochondrial GSH status were consistent with these conclusions.


2001 ◽  
Vol 281 (6) ◽  
pp. G1348-G1356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amin A. Nanji ◽  
Kalle Jokelainen ◽  
Maryam Fotouhinia ◽  
Amir Rahemtulla ◽  
Peter Thomas ◽  
...  

Alcoholic liver injury is more severe and rapidly developing in women than men. To evaluate the reason(s) for these gender-related differences, we determined whether pathogenic mechanisms important in alcoholic liver injury in male rats were further upregulated in female rats. Male and age-matched female rats (7/group) were fed ethanol and a diet containing fish oil for 4 wk by intragastric infusion. Dextrose isocalorically replaced ethanol in control rats. We analyzed liver histopathology, lipid peroxidation, cytochrome P-450 (CYP)2E1 activity, nonheme iron, endotoxin, nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation, and mRNA levels of cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) and COX-2, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), and macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2). Alcohol-induced liver injury was more severe in female vs. male rats. Female rats had higher endotoxin, lipid peroxidation, and nonheme iron levels and increased NF-κB activation and upregulation of the chemokines MCP-1 and MIP-2. CYP2E1 activity and TNF-α and COX-2 levels were similar in male and female rats. Remarkably, female rats fed fish oil and dextrose also showed necrosis and inflammation. Our findings in ethanol-fed rats suggest that increased endotoxemia and lipid peroxidation in females stimulate NF-κB activation and chemokine production, enhancing liver injury. TNF-α and COX-2 upregulation are probably important in causing liver injury but do not explain gender-related differences.


Author(s):  
Ming Cheng ◽  
Bo Tan ◽  
Xiaojing Wu ◽  
Feng Liao ◽  
Fei Wang ◽  
...  

Long-term and excessive alcohol consumption are risk factors for osteoporosis. Excessive drinking can reduce bone density and also cause imbalance of gut microbiota. And gut microbiota can affect bone metabolism through various mechanisms, and the regulation of gut microbiota is closely related to age. However, the effects of gut microbiota on alcohol-induced osteoporosis at different ages are unclear. In this study, young and old rats were used to induce osteoporosis by long-term alcohol consumption, and alcohol metabolism, bone morphology, bone absorption and immune activity of rats were analyzed to determine the effects of alcohol on rats of different ages. In addition, changes of gut microbiota in rats were analyzed to explore the role of gut microbiota in alcohol-induced osteoporosis in rats of different ages. The results showed the ability of alcohol metabolism was only associated with age, but not with alcohol consumption. Long-term alcohol consumption resulted in the changes of bone metabolism regulating hormones, bone loss, activation of receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL) signaling and inflammatory response. And osteoporosis was more severe in old rats than young rats, suggesting that alcohol-induced osteoporosis is age-related. In addition, long-term drinking also affected the composition of gut microbiota in rats, with a significant increase in the proportion of pro-inflammatory microorganisms. Overall, this study found that long-term alcohol consumption induced osteoporosis and affected the composition of gut microbiota. And alcohol can activate T lymphocytes directly or indirectly by regulating the changes of gut microbiota to produce cytokines, and further activate osteoclasts. In addition, the osteoporosis was more severe in the old rats than young rats, which may be due to the higher diversity and stronger regulation ability of gut microbiota in young rats compared with old rats.


1996 ◽  
Vol 271 (6) ◽  
pp. R1625-R1631 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. T. Davidge ◽  
C. A. Hubel ◽  
M. K. McLaughlin

We tested the hypothesis that an increase in endogenous lipid peroxidation over time is associated with an impairment of endothelium-dependent vascular function in resistance-sized mesenteric arteries that is due in part to alterations of arachidonate metabolism. Susceptibility to red blood cell hemolysis and sera levels of malondialdehyde were increased (P < 0.05) from 20 wk (n = 12) to 40 wk (n = 12) in female Sprague-Dawley rats. Arteries were studied in a myograph by examining the endothelial modification of phenylephrine vasoconstriction and the relaxation responses of the mesenteric arteries to methacholine. We observed the following. 1) An increase in sensitivity to alpha 1-adrenergic stimulation occurred between 20 and 40 wk of age. Cyclooxygenase inhibition decreased the sensitivity to phenylephrine only in the arteries from the 40-wk-old rats, indicating that a cyclooxygenase-dependent vasoconstrictor was modifying the phenylephrine response. 2) Nitric oxide synthase inhibition caused a greater increase in phenylephrine sensitivity in the arteries from the 20-wk-old rats than those from the 40-wk-old rats, indicating that nitric oxide modification of phenylephrine sensitivity decreased with age. 3) Endothelium-independent relaxations were not affected between 20 and 40 wk of age. 4) At 40 wk, the sensitivity to the methacholine-mediated relaxation response decreased without impairing the maximal relaxation response. This reduced sensitivity was removed with cyclooxygenase inhibition or thromboxane A2/prostaglandin H2 (PGH2) receptor blockade. 5) Aortas from the 40-wk-old rats had an increased expression of PGH synthase. Collectively, these observations indicate that, in the female rat, an increase in lipid peroxidation over time is associated with changes in endothelium-dependent vascular function that were due in part to a cyclooxygenase-dependent vasoconstrictor.


2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (Supplement_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadezda Andrianova ◽  
Ljubava Zorova ◽  
Irina Pevzner ◽  
Vasily Popkov ◽  
Denis Silachev ◽  
...  

Abstract Background and Aims Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a widespread disease affecting mostly old people. Dietary restriction (DR), based on the reduction of food intake, is believed to be one of the most efficient approaches ameliorating damage in different pathological conditions including age-associated diseases. The aim of the study was to investigate the protective mechanisms of DR in the model of AKI in young and old rats. Method All experiments were made on young (3-4 months) and old (22-24 months) male rats. DR was performed by limiting the amount of food for 35% of the ad libitum (AL) daily intake. Since earlier, we showed ineffectiveness of 4-weeks DR in old rats, in this study we applied 35% DR lasting 8 weeks for old rats and 4 weeks for young rats. During DR, we registered the weight loss and measured the level of adiponectin, as this hormone is closely associated with adipose tissue metabolism. Renal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) was used as a model of ischemic AKI. I/R was performed by clamping the left renal pedicle for 40 minutes followed by reperfusion with simultaneous contralateral nephrectomy. The severity of AKI was evaluated by measuring blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (SCr) and the levels of protein biomarkers of AKI (NGAL and L-FABP) in urine. Proliferation in kidney epithelium in response to I/R was analyzed by PCNA protein level in kidney tissue. We evaluated the function of mitochondria by measuring TMRE/MitoTracker Green ratio in vital kidney slices; in kidney homogenates, we also analyzed levels of Bcl-XL and Bcl-XS proteins. The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was evaluated by staining vital kidney slices with DCF. The content of lipid peroxidation products was measured using Image-iT Lipid Peroxidation Kit, and the level of carbonylated proteins was determined by OxyBlot Protein Oxidation Detection Kit. The activation of autophagic-lysosomal system was estimated by western blotting to LC3 II/LC3 I ratio and LAMP1 level, as well as by staining vital kidney slices with LysoTracker Green probe. Results The body weight of rats during DR dropped as far as 20% by the end of 4 weeks in young rats and 30% by the end of 8 weeks in old rats. Nevertheless, adiponectin concentration elevated during DR only in the serum of young rats. DR strongly influenced mitochondria function, in particular, elevated mitochondrial membrane potential both in kidney cells of young and old rats. DR also resulted in increasing the Bcl-XL level. We revealed the decrease of ROS and lipid peroxidation products in vital kidney slices, but only in kidneys of young rats. However, DR reduced the content of carbonyl groups more than 2 times in animals of both ages. We showed that activation of autophagy in response to DR and I/R occurred only in the kidneys of young rats, indicating deterioration of autophagy signaling in old animals. We also found that 48 h after I/R PCNA level increased 19 times in young kidney, although old rats showed only 4-fold elevation of kidney cells proliferation. Estimation of kidney injury markers (NGAL, L-FABP) in urine revealed that 2-month DR led to some protection in old rats. Nonetheless, despite all positive alterations in kidney tissue of old rats, DR was not able to ameliorate impairment of kidney function after I/R, whereas all young rats showed significant improvement of SCr and BUN levels. Conclusion Short-term DR has a significant nephroprotective effect against renal I/R in young rats. Old animals require longer periods of food restriction, after which some protective alterations are observed. We propose, protection of kidney in old and young rats is implemented through slightly different mechanisms and some of them are missing in old animals.


2011 ◽  
Vol 300 (4) ◽  
pp. R1001-R1008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert L. Thunhorst ◽  
Connie L. Grobe ◽  
Terry G. Beltz ◽  
Alan Kim Johnson

These experiments examined water-drinking and arterial blood pressure responses to β-adrenergic receptor activation in young (4 mo), “middle-aged” adult (12 mo), and old (29 mo) male rats of the Brown-Norway strain. We used isoproterenol to simultaneously activate β1- and β2-adrenergic receptors, salbutamol to selectively activate β2-adrenergic receptors, and the combination of isoproterenol and the β2-adrenergic receptor antagonist ICI 118,551 to stimulate only β1-adrenergic receptors. Animals received one of the drug treatments, and water drinking was measured for 90 min. About 1 wk later, animals received the same drug treatment for measurement of arterial blood pressure responses for 90 min. In some rats, levels of renin and aldosterone secretion in response to isoproterenol or salbutamol were measured in additional tests. Old and middle-aged rats drank significantly less after isoproterenol than did young rats and also had greater reductions in arterial blood pressure. Old and middle-aged rats drank significantly less after salbutamol than did young rats, although reductions in arterial blood pressure were equivalent across the ages. The β2-adrenergic antagonist ICI 118,551 abolished drinking after isoproterenol and prevented most of the observed hypotension. Renin secretion after isoproterenol and salbutamol was greater in young rats than in middle-aged rats, and wholly absent in old rats. Aldosterone secretion was reduced in old rats compared with young and middle-aged rats after treatment with isoproterenol, but not after treatment with salbutamol. In conclusion, there are age-related differences in β-adrenergic receptor-mediated drinking that can be explained only in part by age-related differences in renin secretion after β-adrenergic receptor stimulation.


2009 ◽  
Vol 297 (1) ◽  
pp. R149-R157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert L. Thunhorst ◽  
Terry G. Beltz ◽  
Alan Kim Johnson

Compared to young cohorts, old rats drink less water in response to several thirst-inducing stimuli. In these experiments, we characterized water drinking in response to hypotension and cellular dehydration in young (4 mo), middle-aged adult (12 mo) and old (29–30 mo) male Brown Norway rats. We injected the vasodilator, minoxidil as an intravenous bolus in a range of doses (0–20 mg/kg), so that drinking responses could be compared at equivalent reductions of arterial pressure. Old rats had greatly diminished reflex tachycardia and became significantly more hypotensive after minoxidil compared with young and middle-aged rats. When compared at equivalent reductions of arterial pressure, old rats drank one-third as much as middle-aged rats, and one-fifth as much as young rats. In addition, there were age-related deficits in drinking in response to a range of administered loads of sodium (0.15–2 M NaCl, 2 ml/100 g body wt). Urinary excretion of water and sodium in response to the loads was equivalent across ages. Both middle-aged and old rats were less able than young rats to repair their water deficits after sodium loading, attributable almost entirely to their reduced drinking responses compared with young rats. Lastly, age-related declines in drinking appeared to be more severe in response to hypotension than in response to cellular dehydration.


1994 ◽  
Vol 77 (6) ◽  
pp. 2709-2719 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Laudert ◽  
D. W. Thibeault ◽  
M. M. Rezaiekhaligh ◽  
S. M. Mabry ◽  
M. Huntrakoon

Young rats are thought to be more tolerant to hyperoxia. We propose that this may not be proven and depends on how tolerance is defined. We assessed oxygen tolerance in Sprague-Dawley rats from birth to maturity by comparing survival, lung water, antioxidant enzyme activity, lung morphometrics, heart weight, and arterial blood gases in newborn and 27-, 44-, 48-, and 96-day-old rats exposed to 100% O2 or room air for 22 days. Some 96-day-old rats (rest group) received only 50% O2 between 48 and 72 h. Mortality after 5 days of O2 was 0% in newborn and 27-day-old rats and 27% in 44-day-old rats but was > 80% in 48- and 96-day-old rats. Between 5 and 22 days, the death rate was 100% in newborns, 25% in 27-day-old rats, and 0% in 44- to 96-day-old rats. Death occurred when lung water was > 84% except in newborns, which tolerated high lung water for the first 7 days. In chronically exposed 44- and 96-day-old rats, lung water returned to normal. Enzyme activity increased with O2 at all ages but did not relate to survival. In 96-day-old rats, the initial increase was suppressed on day 3. All chronically O2-exposed rats had minimal nonvascular parenchymal changes but developed right ventricular hypertrophy and increased alveolar ductal artery muscularization and lost alveolar capillaries. The most mature rats were least affected. In O2, there was pulmonary insufficiency the first 3 days, followed by recovery, and later hypercarbia and decreased arterial PO2. We conclude that young rats, 0–44 days old, are more O2 tolerant for 5 days. More mature animals, surviving 5 days, are more tolerant to chronic exposure.


1990 ◽  
Vol 124 (2) ◽  
pp. 261-NP ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Amir-Zaltsman ◽  
Y. Ausher ◽  
B. Gayer ◽  
S. Lichter ◽  
F. Serour ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The age-related changes in tissue response to chronic treatment for 1 month with a potent LHRH agonist were investigated in the ageing male rat, and the observed pharmacological effects were compared with orchidectomy. In both young (4 months) and old (22 months) rats, treatment resulted in a significant decrease in the weights of prostates and testes, a decrease in plasma LH and testosterone levels, a loss of LH receptors in the testes and in a complete depletion of prostatic nuclear androgen receptors, reaching levels observed after castration. In young rats, treatment with an LHRH agonist or orchidectomy induced a three- or sixfold increase in prostatic creatine kinase (CK) activity which may have been induced by the local stimulatory effect of oestradiol arising from the conversion of precursor steroids secreted by the adrenal. On the other hand, in old rats, 7 days after orchidectomy or after treatment with an LHRH agonist a twofold increase or no change was induced in prostatic CK activity respectively. SDS gel electrophoresis patterns of cytosolic prostatic proteins of young rats treated with an LHRH agonist or young rats orchidectomized 7 days previously revealed the presence of several intensified proteins, two of them having apparent molecular weight of 67 kDa and 43 kDa, whereas in the old rats treated with LHRH agonist or old rats castrated 7 days previously, these two proteins were not intensified. The results of this study confirmed that continuous treatment with an LHRH agonist to young and old rats induces medical castration since the pharmacological effects observed were the same as those induced with surgical castration. However, in the old rats, the lack of an increase in prostatic CK activity upon treatment with LHRH agonist, and the moderate increase in CK activity upon orchidectomy, suggest that prostatic cells in older rats have decreased sensitivity to hormonal manipulation. Journal of Endocrinology (1990) 124, 261–268


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