N-acetylcysteine attenuates intrauterine growth retardation-induced hepatic damage in suckling piglets by improving glutathione synthesis and cellular homeostasis

作者：Zhang, Hao; Su, Weipeng; Ying, Zhixiong; Chen, Yueping; Zhou, Le; Li, Yue; Zhang, Jingfei; Zhang, Lili; Wang, Tian^*

来源：European Journal of Nutrition, 2018, 57(1): 327-338.

DOI：10.1007/s00394-016-1322-x

• Intrauterine growth retardation
• N-acetylcysteine
• Oxidative stress
• Glutathione synthesis
• Cellular homeostasis
• Piglet

Purpose The objective of the present study was to test the hypothesis that N-acetylcysteine (NAC) may play beneficial roles against intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR)-induced hepatic damage in suckling piglets. @@@ Methods Fourteen IUGR and seven normal birth weight (NBW) neonatal male piglets were selected. Piglets were weaned at 7 days of postnatal age and fed the control formula milk (NBW-CON and IUGR-CON groups) or the control formula milk supplemented with 1.2 g/kg NAC (IUGR-NAC group) for 14 days (n = 7). The plasma and liver samples were analyzed for the parameters related to hepatic damage, redox status, apoptosis, and autophagy. @@@ Results Compared with the NBW-CON group, IUGR-CON group exhibited increased activities of plasma aminotransferases, increased numbers of apoptotic hepatocytes, as well as higher concentrations of protein carbonyl, malondialdehyde (MDA), microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 beta, and phospholipid-conjugated form (MAP1LC3B-II), along with a decrease in the content of reduced glutathione (GSH). NAC treatment increased GSH content and GSH-to-oxidized GSH ratio in the liver of IUGR-NAC group, most likely owing to the improved activities of gamma-glutamine-cysteine ligase, gamma-glutamine-cysteine synthetase, and glutathione reductase. The hepatic protein carbonyl and MDA contents were decreased in the IUGR-NAC group compared with the IUGR-CON group. In addition, NAC-treated piglets had an increased content of B cell lymphoma/leukemia 2 protein, whereas a decreased expression level of MAP1LC3B-II in the liver. @@@ Conclusions NAC may have beneficial effects in improving GSH synthesis and cellular homeostasis in the liver of IUGR suckling piglets.

• 出版日期2018-2
• 单位南京农业大学