ANTIOXIDANT ACTION OF ESTROGENS IN RAT HEPATOCYTES

The in vitro addition of 17 beta-estradiol (0-100 mu M) to isolated ra t hepatocytes efficiently prevented cellular lipid oxidation induced b y the Fe(III)/ADP complex. 17 beta-estradiol was found to be less effe ctive than its metabolic derivative 2-hydroxyestradiol. The presence o f specific inhibitors of cytochrome P450 activity significantly dimini shed the antioxidant capacity of estradiol. These observations support the hypothesis that estradiol, in the micromolar range, inhibits iron -induced lipid peroxidation in liver cells by diverting reducing equiv alents from the peroxidative process to its own metabolism.