Tissue antioxidant status differs in spontaneously hypertensive rats fed fish protein or casein.

The present study was designed to determine whether changes in dietary protein source are related to changes in antioxidant status determined by enzyme activities of catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD), gluthatione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and gluthatione reductase (GSSG-Red) and lipid peroxidation levels in various tissues. Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR; 5 wk old) were fed diets containing 20% casein or fish protein for 2 mo. Feeding the fish protein diet lowered blood pressure and reduced plasma total cholesterol levels and SOD activity in all tissues except muscle compared with the casein diet. Feeding fish protein also enhanced GSH level and GSH-Px activity in liver and heart, accompanied by lower lipid peroxidation. In kidney, however, the lower catalase activity in rats fed fish protein was associated with an enhancement in lipid peroxidation. Plasma and VLDL + LDL lipid peroxidation was unaffected by dietary proteins. In conclusion, the fish protein diet did not play a relevant role in plasma antioxidative defense status but increased it in liver and heart compared with the casein diet. Fish protein attenuated the development of hypertension and also decreased plasma total cholesterol concentration. Thus, it enhances protection against cardiovascular diseases.