Vitamin C deficiency in weanling guinea pigs: differential expression of oxidative stress and DNA repair in liver and brain

Jens Lykkesfeldt; Gilberto Perez Trueba; Henrik E. Poulsen; Stephan Christen

doi:10.1017/S0007114507787457

Vitamin C deficiency in weanling guinea pigs: differential expression of oxidative stress and DNA repair in liver and brain

Jens Lykkesfeldt, Gilberto Perez Trueba, Henrik E. Poulsen, Stephan Christen

44 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Neonates are particularly susceptible to malnutrition due to their limited reserves of micronutrients and their rapid growth. In the present study, we examined the effect of vitamin C deficiency on markers of oxidative stress in plasma, liver and brain of weanling guinea pigs. Vitamin C deficiency caused rapid and significant depletion of ascorbate (P,0001), tocopherols (P,0001) and glutathione (P,0001), and a decrease in superoxide dismutase activity (P¼0005) in the liver, while protein oxidation was significantly increased (P¼0011). No changes in lipid oxidation or oxidatively damaged DNA were observed in this tissue. In the brain, the pattern was markedly different. Of the measured antioxidants, only ascorbate was significantly depleted (P,0001), but in contrast to the liver, ascorbate oxidation (P¼0034), lipid oxidation (P,0001), DNA oxidation (P¼013) and DNA incision repair (P¼0014) were all increased, while protein oxidation decreased (P¼0003). The results show that the selective preservation of brain ascorbate and induction of DNA repair in vitamin C-deficient weanling guinea pigs is not sufficient to prevent oxidative damage. Vitamin C deficiency may therefore be particularly adverse during the neonatal period.

Original language	English
Journal	British Journal of Nutrition
Volume	98
Issue number	6
Pages (from-to)	1116-1119
Number of pages	4
ISSN	0007-1145
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114507787457
Publication status	Published - 2007

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10.1017/S0007114507787457

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@article{79b62350a1c211ddb6ae000ea68e967b,

title = "Vitamin C deficiency in weanling guinea pigs: differential expression of oxidative stress and DNA repair in liver and brain",

abstract = "Neonates are particularly susceptible to malnutrition due to their limited reserves of micronutrients and their rapid growth. In the present study, we examined the effect of vitamin C deficiency on markers of oxidative stress in plasma, liver and brain of weanling guinea pigs. Vitamin C deficiency caused rapid and significant depletion of ascorbate (P,0001), tocopherols (P,0001) and glutathione (P,0001), and a decrease in superoxide dismutase activity (P¼0005) in the liver, while protein oxidation was significantly increased (P¼0011). No changes in lipid oxidation or oxidatively damaged DNA were observed in this tissue. In the brain, the pattern was markedly different. Of the measured antioxidants, only ascorbate was significantly depleted (P,0001), but in contrast to the liver, ascorbate oxidation (P¼0034), lipid oxidation (P,0001), DNA oxidation (P¼013) and DNA incision repair (P¼0014) were all increased, while protein oxidation decreased (P¼0003). The results show that the selective preservation of brain ascorbate and induction of DNA repair in vitamin C-deficient weanling guinea pigs is not sufficient to prevent oxidative damage. Vitamin C deficiency may therefore be particularly adverse during the neonatal period.",

author = "Jens Lykkesfeldt and Trueba, {Gilberto Perez} and Poulsen, {Henrik E.} and Stephan Christen",

year = "2007",

doi = "10.1017/S0007114507787457",

language = "English",

volume = "98",

pages = "1116--1119",

journal = "British Journal of Nutrition",

issn = "0007-1145",

publisher = "Cambridge University Press",

number = "6",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Vitamin C deficiency in weanling guinea pigs

T2 - differential expression of oxidative stress and DNA repair in liver and brain

AU - Lykkesfeldt, Jens

AU - Trueba, Gilberto Perez

AU - Poulsen, Henrik E.

AU - Christen, Stephan

PY - 2007

Y1 - 2007

N2 - Neonates are particularly susceptible to malnutrition due to their limited reserves of micronutrients and their rapid growth. In the present study, we examined the effect of vitamin C deficiency on markers of oxidative stress in plasma, liver and brain of weanling guinea pigs. Vitamin C deficiency caused rapid and significant depletion of ascorbate (P,0001), tocopherols (P,0001) and glutathione (P,0001), and a decrease in superoxide dismutase activity (P¼0005) in the liver, while protein oxidation was significantly increased (P¼0011). No changes in lipid oxidation or oxidatively damaged DNA were observed in this tissue. In the brain, the pattern was markedly different. Of the measured antioxidants, only ascorbate was significantly depleted (P,0001), but in contrast to the liver, ascorbate oxidation (P¼0034), lipid oxidation (P,0001), DNA oxidation (P¼013) and DNA incision repair (P¼0014) were all increased, while protein oxidation decreased (P¼0003). The results show that the selective preservation of brain ascorbate and induction of DNA repair in vitamin C-deficient weanling guinea pigs is not sufficient to prevent oxidative damage. Vitamin C deficiency may therefore be particularly adverse during the neonatal period.

AB - Neonates are particularly susceptible to malnutrition due to their limited reserves of micronutrients and their rapid growth. In the present study, we examined the effect of vitamin C deficiency on markers of oxidative stress in plasma, liver and brain of weanling guinea pigs. Vitamin C deficiency caused rapid and significant depletion of ascorbate (P,0001), tocopherols (P,0001) and glutathione (P,0001), and a decrease in superoxide dismutase activity (P¼0005) in the liver, while protein oxidation was significantly increased (P¼0011). No changes in lipid oxidation or oxidatively damaged DNA were observed in this tissue. In the brain, the pattern was markedly different. Of the measured antioxidants, only ascorbate was significantly depleted (P,0001), but in contrast to the liver, ascorbate oxidation (P¼0034), lipid oxidation (P,0001), DNA oxidation (P¼013) and DNA incision repair (P¼0014) were all increased, while protein oxidation decreased (P¼0003). The results show that the selective preservation of brain ascorbate and induction of DNA repair in vitamin C-deficient weanling guinea pigs is not sufficient to prevent oxidative damage. Vitamin C deficiency may therefore be particularly adverse during the neonatal period.

U2 - 10.1017/S0007114507787457

DO - 10.1017/S0007114507787457

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0007-1145

VL - 98

SP - 1116

EP - 1119

JO - British Journal of Nutrition

JF - British Journal of Nutrition

IS - 6

ER -