Protective Effets Of Lutein On Serum Lipids And Oxidative Stress In Excessive Iron Intake Rats

Objetive:Iron is one of the essential trace elements, but excess iron supplementation may rise free radicals and cause serum lipid abnormalities that eventually damage cells and interfere normal organ function. The aim of the study is to investigate the protective effects of lutein on serum lipids and oxidative stress in excessive iron intake rats.Method:Sixty SD rats were randomly divided into the following groups with12rats in each group: control (C)(standard rat chow, including Fe50mg/kg diet), iron (F0)(high iron diet, including Fe1000mg/kg diet), iron+lutein10,20,40mg/kg bw/d (Fl, F2, F3) intragastrical administration. Animals were killed after6weeks. Triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C), high density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C), Serum and liver iron concentration, serum ferritin, total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), catalase (CAT), malonaldehyde (MDA) were detected.Results:As the serum lipids analysis showed, compared with C group, the TG, LDL-C levels increased by35%,27%(P<0.05) respectively, and HDL-C level decreased by16%(P<0.05)in F0group. In F2, F3groups, the TG levels respectively decreased by30%,36%(P<0.05, P<0.01), LDL-C levels respectively decreased by21%、29%(P<0.05, P<0.01), and HDL-C levels respectively increased by21%、23%(P<0.05), when compared with F0group. Compared with C group, both serum ferritin and serum iron were elevated28%(P<0.05) and liver iron concentration increased by23%(P<0.01) in F0group. Compared with F0group, serum ferritin, serum and liver iron concentration in F1, F2, F3groups decreased significantly (P<0.05). Oxidative stress analysis showed the serum and liver GSH-Px activity in the F0group were12%and16%lower than C group respectively (P<0.05). The serum GSH-Px and CAT activity in F2group increased by12%and32%(P<0.05) respectively compared with F0group, and the serum GSH-Px in the F3group was21%(P<0.05) higher than F0group. The liver T-SOD activity in F0, F1groups reduced by18%and15%(P<0.05) compared with C group respectively, and were23%and19%(P<0.05) lower than the F3group respectively. The liver CAT activity in the F0group was18%and22%(P<0.05) lower than C,F2groups respectively.Conclusion:Excessive iron intake can cause serum lipid abnormalities and increase oxidative stress. Lutein supplementation may effectively regulate the iron-induced serum lipids,reduce oxidative damage and enhance antioxidant properties.