EFFECT OF STARVATION ON ANTIOXIDANT ENZYMES AND RESPIRATORY MITOCHONDRIAL FUNCTIONS IN KIDNEY AND LIVER FROM RATS

The influence of the nutritional status on the antioxidant defence sys tem and on the mitochondrial respiratory functions of rat kidney and l iver was studied. For that purpose, the antioxidant enzymes catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, glutathione S-transfera se, superoxide dismutase, the total glutathione and the respiration ra tes of states 3 and 4, the respiratory control ratio, and ADP/O ratio were measured before and after 2 and 4 days of starvation. The behavio ur of the enzymes was not uniform. Only the liver glutathione peroxida se decreased by about 18% at second day of starvation, whereas all oth er enzymes in liver and kidney increased or remained unchanged. All mi tochondrial parameters studied remained unaffected by starvation excep t the moderately reduced state 3 respiration and respiratory control r atio in liver mitochondria. We conclude from our experimental data tha t the enzymatic antioxidative status is of minor importance for the as sumed vulnerability of kidney and liver after short-term starvation.