BENFLUOREX, A HYPOTRIGLYCERIDEMIC DRUG, REDUCES LIPID-PEROXIDATION AND ALLEVIATES ADVERSE METABOLIC COMPLICATIONS OF COPPER DEFICIENCY

The pathologies associated with copper deficiency in rats fed fructose may be induced, in part, by hypertriglyceridemia and lipid peroxidati on. Reducing triacylglycerol levels in plasma may result in lowering l ipid peroxidation, which in turn could ameliorate metabolic effects re sulting from the combination of fructose feeding and copper deficiency . Benfluorex, a hypolipidemic factor able to reduce hypertriglyceridem ia, was administered to weanling male rats fed either copper-deficient (0.6 mu g Cu/g) or adequate (6.0 mu g Cu/g) diets containing fructose as the sole dietary carbohydrate. In copper-deficient rats, benfluore x (50 mu g.kg(-1).d(-1)) reduced plasma triacylglycerols from 45 to 31 mg/dL, reduced lipid peroxidation by approximately 50%, and prevented the enlargements of heart and liver size and the atrophy of the pancr eas, and ameliorated anemia. It is suggested that lipid peroxidation a ssociated with hypertriglyceridemia may be responsible for the patholo gies induced by the combination of fructose consumption and copper def iciency. (C) Elsevier Science Inc. 1997.