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N-acetylcysteine attenuates intrauterine growth retardation-induced hepatic damage in suckling piglets by improving glutathione synthesis and cellular homeostasis

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Abstract

Purpose

The objective of the present study was to test the hypothesis that N-acetylcysteine (NAC) may play beneficial roles against intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR)-induced hepatic damage in suckling piglets.

Methods

Fourteen IUGR and seven normal birth weight (NBW) neonatal male piglets were selected. Piglets were weaned at 7 days of postnatal age and fed the control formula milk (NBW-CON and IUGR-CON groups) or the control formula milk supplemented with 1.2 g/kg NAC (IUGR-NAC group) for 14 days (n = 7). The plasma and liver samples were analyzed for the parameters related to hepatic damage, redox status, apoptosis, and autophagy.

Results

Compared with the NBW-CON group, IUGR-CON group exhibited increased activities of plasma aminotransferases, increased numbers of apoptotic hepatocytes, as well as higher concentrations of protein carbonyl, malondialdehyde (MDA), microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 beta, and phospholipid-conjugated form (MAP1LC3B-II), along with a decrease in the content of reduced glutathione (GSH). NAC treatment increased GSH content and GSH-to-oxidized GSH ratio in the liver of IUGR-NAC group, most likely owing to the improved activities of γ-glutamine-cysteine ligase, γ-glutamine-cysteine synthetase, and glutathione reductase. The hepatic protein carbonyl and MDA contents were decreased in the IUGR-NAC group compared with the IUGR-CON group. In addition, NAC-treated piglets had an increased content of B cell lymphoma/leukemia 2 protein, whereas a decreased expression level of MAP1LC3B-II in the liver.

Conclusions

NAC may have beneficial effects in improving GSH synthesis and cellular homeostasis in the liver of IUGR suckling piglets.

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Acknowledgments

The research was financially supported by the National Basic Research Program of People’s Republic of China (973) (Grant No. 2012CB124703).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, No. 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China

    Hao Zhang, Weipeng Su, Zhixiong Ying, Yueping Chen, Le Zhou, Yue Li, Jingfei Zhang, Lili Zhang & Tian Wang

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  1. Hao Zhang
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  2. Weipeng Su
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  3. Zhixiong Ying
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  4. Yueping Chen
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  9. Tian Wang
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Correspondence to Tian Wang.

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The use of animals for this research was approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of Nanjing Agricultural University.

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Zhang, H., Su, W., Ying, Z. et al. N-acetylcysteine attenuates intrauterine growth retardation-induced hepatic damage in suckling piglets by improving glutathione synthesis and cellular homeostasis. Eur J Nutr 57, 327–338 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-016-1322-x

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