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Effect of sulfite on antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation in normal and sulfite oxidase-deficient rat erythrocytes

Journal of Physiology and Biochemistry volume 66, pages 205–212 (2010)Cite this article

Abstract

Sulfite and related chemical such as sulfite salts and sulfur dioxide has been used as a preservative in food and drugs. This molecule has also been generated from the catabolism of sulfur-containing amino acids. Sulfite is a very reactive and potentially toxic molecule and has to be detoxified by the enzyme sulfite oxidase (SOX). The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of ingested sulfite on erythrocyte antioxidant status by measuring glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities and oxidant status by measuring thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in normal and SOX-deficient rats. Rats were assigned to four groups (n = 10 rats/group) as follows; control (C), sulfite (CS), deficient (D), and deficient + sulfite (DS). SOX deficiency was established by feeding rats a low molybdenum diet and adding to their drinking water 200 ppm tungsten (W). Sulfite (25 mg/kg) was administered to the animals via their drinking water. At the end of 6 weeks, Erythrocyte G-6-PD, SOD, and GPx but not CAT activities were found to be significantly increased with and without sulfite treatment in SOX-deficient groups. Sulfite treatment alone was also significantly increased erythrocytes’ SOD activity in CS group compared to control. TBARS levels were found to be significantly increased in CS and DS groups and decreased in D group. When SOX-deficient rats treated with sulfite, TBARS level was still higher than other groups. In conclusion, these results suggested that erythrocyte antioxidant capacity, a defense mechanism against the oxidative challenge, increased by endogenous and exogenous sulfite due to its oxidant nature. This increase was also observed in CS and DS groups but it was insufficient to prevent lipid peroxidation.

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Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, Mustafa Kemal University, 31100, Hatay, Turkey

    Oktay Hasan Ozturk

  2. Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Mustafa Kemal University, 31100, Hatay, Turkey

    Suleyman Oktar

  3. Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physiology, Mustafa Kemal University, 31100, Hatay, Turkey

    Mehmet Aydin

  4. Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physiology, Pamukkale University, Kinikli, 20020, Denizli, Turkey

    Vural Kucukatay

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  1. Oktay Hasan Ozturk
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  2. Suleyman Oktar
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  3. Mehmet Aydin
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  4. Vural Kucukatay
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Correspondence to Oktay Hasan Ozturk.

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Ozturk, O.H., Oktar, S., Aydin, M. et al. Effect of sulfite on antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation in normal and sulfite oxidase-deficient rat erythrocytes. J Physiol Biochem 66, 205–212 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13105-010-0025-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13105-010-0025-7

Keywords

  • Sulfite
  • Antioxidants
  • Lipid peroxidation
  • Erythrocyte
  • Rat