POSTNATAL EFFICACY OF ANTIOXIDANTS IN THE DETOXIFICATION PATHWAY OF SUCKLING NEONATES AND LACTATING MICE

This study evaluates the comparative efficacy of antioxidant vitamins (ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol) and non-vitamin antioxidants (glu tathione, cysteine and L-2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylate (OTZ)) in mod ulating the detoxification pathway of lactating dams and suckling muri ne pups. In darns, 100 mg/kg b.w./day treatment of each of the vitamin and non-vitamin antioxidants induced a significant increase in the he patic level of acid soluble sulfhydryl (-SH) compared to the modulatin g efficiency of OTZ, glutathione and alpha-tocopherol in the kidney ti ssue. In the liver and kidney tissues of suckling pups OTZ and cu-toco pherol were effective in modulating the -SH level. A statistically sig nificant increase in the hepatic glutathione-S-transferase (GST) level was observed by OTZ, glutathione and oi-tocopherol, while only OTZ wa s effective in the kidney tissue of dams and pups. In the murine syste m, the modulation of cellular GST/GSH status, specifically by OTZ, alp ha-tocopherol and interacting antioxidant pool, may potentially amelio rate the pathophysiology of oxidative stress. (C) 1997 Elsevier Scienc e Ireland Ltd.