Lipid peroxide formation in liver and skeletal muscle in the rat after exercise and ethanol treatment

Abstract

The formation of lipid peroxide [total malondialdehyde (MDA) determined by thiobarbituric acid (TBA) reaction] was investigated in male Wistar rats treated with ethanol and exercise along with a possible damage of liver and skeletal muscle [using plasma enzymes such as lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine phosphokinase (CPK), serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) and alkaline phosphatase (AP) as indices. Lipid peroxidation in the brain, heart, lung, kidney, testis and serum was also detected in order to study other sources of lipid peroxide in the body. The rat swam for 30 min (with weigh resistance of 3% BW) prior to administration of two oral doses of 40% ethanol (4.0 g/kg BW each) at 0 and 3 hours. Both exercise program and ethanol treatment caused a maximum increase in the lipid peroxide level in the brain (168.55%, P<0.001), heart (165.36%, P<0.001), liver (89.47%, P<0.05), kidney (110.45%, P<0.05), testis (159.3%, P<0.05) gastrocnemius (251.32%, P<0.001), vastus medialis (165.36%, P<0.01), vastus lateralis (proximal part, 208.44%, P<0.05), vastus lateralis (distal part, 202.52%, P<0.01) and not significantly in lung, at 24 hours when compared to the control and at 12 hours for serum (92.81%, P<0.05) after the first dose of ethanol. Lipid peroxide level in red fast-twitch muscle was slightly higher than the white one, but not significantly different. Ethanol treatment enhanced lipid peroxide formation from exercise in all tissues but significantly different in the brain (73.46%, P<0.001) at 12 hours and in the heart (86.39%, P<0.001), gastrocnemius (48.32%, P<0.05) at 24 house, when compared to the control. However, no change in the activity of SGPT, AP, LDH and CPK. Our results in the present study suggest that a bout of high intensity exercise prior to an acute ethanol treatment causes an increase in lipid peroxidation in the brain, heart, kidney, testis, skeletal muscles (gastrocnemius, vastus medialis and distal and proximul part of vastus lateralis), serum and partially in the liver, but not significantly different in the lung. Lipid peroxide level in the red fast-twitch muscle is slightly higher than the white one. Exercise caused an increase in lipid peroxidation from ethanol especially in the heart, gastrocnemius, vastus medialis and vastus lateralis. Whereas no changes on enzymes that indicate cellular damage such as SGPT, AP, LDH and CPK was observed. Increase in SGOT, however, probably resulted of stress from swimming. The reason for this may be due to insufficient intensity of exercise and dose of ethanol to cause cellular damage. Nevertheless, the damage determined by CPK may be observed, if the time is prolonged more than two days.