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Long-term dietary supplementation with cystathionine improves tissue glutathione in ageing rats

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Abstract

Background

Ageing is associated with decrease in tissue glutathione that can be reduced by food fortification with the amino acid cysteine. However, cysteine is not stable in solution and generates bad taste. Cystathionine, the direct precursor of cysteine, could be a valuable alternative.

Aims

This study aimed to determine whether long-term dietary supplementation with cystathionine induces an increase in glutathione pools.

Methods

Aged rats (20.5-month-old) were fed ad libitum during 29 weeks with either a cystathionine-supplemented diet (7.3 g/kg, n = 90 rats) or a control iso-nitrogenous alanine-supplemented diet (2.9 g/kg, n = 90 rats).

Results

Cystathionine was detected in the plasma of the cystathionine-supplemented rats but not in the control alanine-supplemented rats. Cystathionine increased glutathione concentrations in liver, small intestine and gastrocnemius muscle (P < 0.03). No adverse effect was observed.

Conclusion

Cystathionine supplementation being able to increase moderately glutathione in healthy old rats could be considered as a candidate for nutritional supports aiming to revert the stronger glutathione depletions occurring in unhealthy elderly.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the Staff of the Installation Expérimentale de Nutrition for animal care, Catherine Besson for blood sampling.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clermont Université, Université d’Auvergne, Unité de Nutrition Humaine, BP 10448, F-63000, Clermont-Ferrand, France

    Mélanie Pouget, Philippe Denis, Dominique Dardevet & Isabelle Papet

  2. INRA, UMR 1019, UNH, CRNH Auvergne, F-63000, Clermont-Ferrand, France

    Mélanie Pouget, Philippe Denis, Dominique Dardevet & Isabelle Papet

  3. Department of Taste and Behavioural Sciences, Nestlé Research Center, CH-10000, Lausanne 26, Switzerland

    Marie Perrot

  4. Department of Nutrition and Health, Nestlé Research Center, 10000, Lausanne 26, Switzerland

    Jacques Vuichoud, Karine Vidal & Denis Breuillé

Authors
  1. Mélanie Pouget
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  2. Marie Perrot
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  3. Philippe Denis
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  4. Jacques Vuichoud
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  5. Dominique Dardevet
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  6. Karine Vidal
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  7. Denis Breuillé
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  8. Isabelle Papet
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Isabelle Papet.

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Funding

This work was supported by Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), France and Nestec Ltd, Switzerland.

Conflict of interest

J. Vuichoud and D. Breuillé are co-inventors of a patent related to the nutritional use of cystathionine. Other authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving animals were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institution or practice at which the studies were conducted. The experimental protocol received the approval number CE3-10 from the local Ethical Committee, CEMEA (Comité d’Ethique en Matière d’Expérimentation Animale) Auvergne.

Informed consent

For this type of study formal consent is not applicable.

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Pouget, M., Perrot, M., Denis, P. et al. Long-term dietary supplementation with cystathionine improves tissue glutathione in ageing rats. Aging Clin Exp Res 28, 781–785 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-015-0465-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-015-0465-6

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