Protective effect of folic acid against oxidative stress produced in 21-day postpartum rats by maternal-ethanol chronic consumption during pregnancy and lactation period
Mj. Cano et al., Protective effect of folic acid against oxidative stress produced in 21-day postpartum rats by maternal-ethanol chronic consumption during pregnancy and lactation period, FREE RAD RE, 34(1), 2001, pp. 1-8
In this paper we show the protective effect of folic acid on oxidative stre
ss in offspring caused by chronic maternal ethanol consumption during pregn
ancy and the lactation period. Glutathione reductase (GR) specific activity
was assayed in liver and pancreas of offspring and mothers. In the offspri
ng, these tissues were also assayed for markers of oxidative damage to lipi
ds and proteins. The results show that ethanol exposure during pregnancy an
d lactation increased the specific activity of GR in tissues of the mothers
(32-34 % increase) as well as in the liver of their progeny (24 %). Thioba
rbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were also increased in the liver
and pancreas of 21-day-old rats (37- and 54 %, respectively). Alcohol also
increased the amount of carbonyl groups in proteins in both tissues. These
measures of ethanol-mediated oxidative stress were mitigated when pregnant
rats were treated with folic acid concomitantly to ethanol administration.
The antioxidant capacity of folic acid seems to be involved in its protecti
ve effect. The results obtained in the present work suggest that folic acid
may be useful in the prevention of damage and promotion of health of the p
rogeny of ethanol-treated rats.