Oxidative stress and antioxidant status in rat blood, liver and muscle: effect of dietary lipid, carnitine and exercise.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of dietary fat, carnitine supplementation, and exercise on oxidative damage and antioxidant status. Male Wistar rats (60 days old) were fed diets containing either hydrogenated fat (HF) or peanut oil (PO) with or without 0.5 mg % (of dry diet) carnitine. The rats were given exercise, i.e. swimming for 60 minutes, for 6 days/week for 6 months under each dietary condition. The blood malondialdehyde (MDA) level was higher in PO-fed rats, more so in exercising ones, while the same was not altered in carnitine-supplemented rats irrespective of the dietary fat or physical activity. The MDA level was significantly decreased in muscle, while increased in liver, of carnitine-fed rats. The blood glutathione (GSH) level also significantly increased in exercising rats as compared to sedentary ones, while carnitine supplementation elevated it in all the groups. Exercise and carnitine supplementation significantly lowered GSH levels in liver while increasing it in muscle. The glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity was significantly increased in blood and muscle from PO-fed exercising rats as compared to sedentary ones, while carnitine supplementation elevated GPX activity in all the groups. The liver and muscle catalase (CAT) activities were significantly increased in PO-fed exercising rats, while carnitine did not have any effect. The pro-oxidative effect of the monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA)-rich PO diet and prolonged regular exercise was less pronounced due to augmented antioxidant enzymes, GPX and CAT, induced by training to protect against the oxidative stress, while carnitine supplementation could help to counter lipid peroxidation due to exercise through redistribution of GSH from liver to blood and muscle.