Coexistence of Aflatoxicosis with Protein Malnutrition Worsens Hepatic Oxidative Damage in Rats |
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Authors: | Oluwakemi A. Rotimi Solomon O. Rotimi Flora Oluwafemi Oladipo Ademuyiwa Elizabeth A. Balogun |
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Affiliation: | 1. Department of Biological Sciences, Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria;2. Department of Microbiology, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria;3. Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria;4. Department of Biochemistry, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria |
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Abstract: | To investigate the effects of the coexistence of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and protein malnutrition in rat liver, weanling rats were fed either normal protein diet (20% protein), low‐protein (PEM) diet (5%), normal protein diet + 40 ppb AFB1, or low‐protein diet + 40 ppb AFB1. After 8 weeks, biomarkers of hepatic functions and oxidative stress, caspase‐3 activity, and tumor suppressor protein 53 (p53) were determined spectrophotometrically. Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA polymerase chain reaction (RAPD‐PCR) was employed to determine genomic alterations among the groups. Coexistence of aflatoxicosis and PEM significantly decreased glutathione, glutathione‐S‐transferase, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase, while it increased peroxidase and catalase. RAPD‐PCR showed genomic alterations that were associated with significant increases in p53 level and caspase‐3 activity in rats fed PEM diet + AFB1. In conclusion, the coexistence of aflatoxicosis and protein malnutrition induced oxidative stress with concomitant genomic alterations in the liver of weanling rats. |
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Keywords: | Aflatoxin B1 Liver Oxidative Stress Protein Malnutrition DNA |
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