ANTIOXIDANT DEFENSE SYSTEM IN LUNG OF MALE AND FEMALE RATS - INTERACTIONS WITH ALCOHOL, COPPER, AND TYPE OF DIETARY CARBOHYDRATE

Male and female rats were used to investigate the effects of type of d ietary carbohydrate (CHO), copper, and ethanol consumption on lung ant ioxidant enzyme activities and levels of phosphorylated compounds in w hole blood. Copper deficient female rats exhibited a greater degree of copper deficiency than males, as assessed by hepatic copper concentra tion and hepatic copper superoxide dismutase (CuSOD) activity. However , copper-deficient male rats fed fructose-containing diets exhibited g reater growth retardation, anemia, and heart hypertrophy than females consuming the same diets and males fed starch. In addition, one of 10 copper deficient male rats that ate a fructose-based diet and drank wa ter and one of 10 copper-deficient male rats that ate a starch based d iet and drank ethanol died. Copper-deficient, starch-fed males exhibit ed the highest activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and catal ase as compared with fructose-fed rats. Ethanol consumption elevated t he activities of GSH-Px and catalase. Copper-deficient female rats exh ibited higher catalase but lower GSH-Px activities than males. It is s uggested that in copper deficiency, the ability to increase antioxidan t enzyme activities in rats consuming starch is greater than in rats c onsuming fructose. Rats fed starch are provided with a greater degree of protection against oxidative damage than rats fed fructose. In addi tion, polyphosphorylated compounds in blood were reduced in copper-def icient male rats that consumed fructose-based diets. This may impair s upply of oxygen to tissues.