EFFECT OF DIETARY ASCORBIC-ACID ON THE HEPATIC-MICROSOMAL MIXED-FUNCTION OXIDASE SYSTEM IN LIVER OF CHICKS TREATED WITH ESCHERICHIA-COLI LIPOPOLYSACCHARIDE

We determined whether dietary ascorbic acid (0.3 or 3 g/kg diet) modul ates hepatic microsomal mixed function oxidase (MFO) system and plasma alpha 1 acid glycoprotein (AGP) concentration in chicks treated with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Injection of LPS (250 mu g/ kg body weight every other day) intraperitoneally for 14 days decrease d cytochromes P450 and b(5) content and NADPH-cytochrome c reductase a ctivity in hepatic microsomes in male broilers. Content of cytochromes P450 and b(5) was negatively correlated with plasma AGP concentration . Feeding ascorbic acid partly alleviated the reduction of cytochromes P450 and b(5) in males. Plasma AGP concentration also increased with the LPS injection and was partly lowered by feeding ascorbic acid. The results indicate that dietary ascorbic acid modulates the responses o f the microsomal MFO system and of plasma AGP concentration against re peated injection of LPS in male broiler chicks. (C) 1997 Elsevier Scie nce Inc.