Preventive action of green tea from changes in the liver antioxidant abilities of different aged rats intoxicated with ethanol

Aug 9, 2005Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.)

Green tea helps protect liver antioxidants in young and old rats exposed to alcohol

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Abstract

Ethanol-diet rats receiving green tea showed significantly lower liver damage biomarkers compared to control ethanol rats.

Aging resulted in decreased activity of superoxide dismutase and catalase, and reduced levels of vitamins C, E, A, and beta-carotene.
Ethanol intake led to decreased antioxidant enzyme activity and lower levels of non-enzymatic antioxidants.
Green tea administration partially normalized the activity of antioxidant enzymes and levels of non-enzymatic antioxidants in ethanol-treated aged rats.
Increased markers of lipid and protein oxidation were observed with aging and ethanol intake.
Green tea reduced lipid and protein oxidation in aged and ethanol-treated rats.

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OBJECTIVE: The present study investigated the influence of green tea as a source of water-soluble antioxidants on the liver antioxidant potential of different aged rats chronically intoxicated with ethanol.

METHODS: Rats (2, 12, and 24 mo old) were fed for 5 wk on a control or an ethanol Lieber-DeCarli diet with and without green tea (7 g/L). The activity and level of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants and the level of markers of protein and lipid oxidation in the liver of rats were examined.

RESULTS: The activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase and levels of vitamins C, E, A, and beta-carotene were significantly decreased, whereas activities of glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase and the level of reduced glutathione significantly increased during aging. The ethanol diet caused a significant decrease in activity of antioxidant enzymes and in the level of non-enzymatic antioxidants tested. Administration of green tea to ethanol-treated rats of different ages partly normalized the activity of enzymes and the level of non-enzymatic antioxidants. Changes in antioxidant ability observed during aging were accompanied by increased levels of markers of lipid and protein modifications that also were intensified by ethanol. Green tea caused a decrease in lipid and protein oxidation in aged and ethanol-treated rats. The protective effect of green tea was confirmed by the significantly lower activity of biomarkers of liver damage (alanine and aspartate aminotransferases) in the serum of rats that received green tea with ethanol compared with rats from the control ethanol group.

CONCLUSIONS: The use of green tea appears to be beneficial to rat liver by decreasing oxidative stress caused by ethanol and/or aging.

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Preventive action of green tea from changes in the liver antioxidant abilities of different aged rats intoxicated with ethanol

Abstract

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