The effect of organic copper complexes on the glutathione status of the liver of fed and rats starved for 24 hours.

Starving rats for 24 hours causes the GSH values of the liver to fall by about 2.0 mumol/g of liver and the mixed disulphide values to rise by about the same amount. Total glutathione remains unchanged. Readily permeable organic copper complexes with superoxide-dismutating properties are capable of partially reversing these starvation-induced changes. 5 minutes after intraportal administration of 1.6 micrograms of Cu succinate per 260 g of rat, the GSH value of starved animals has risen from 5.12 mumols/g of liver to 5.94 mumols, and the mixed disulphide value has fallen from 3.64 mumols of GSH equivalents/g of liver to 2.75 mumols. 1.6 micrograms of Cu indomethacine administered by the same route cause a subsequent rise in GSH of 0.83 mumol/g of liver and a drop in the mixed disulphide value of 0.80 mumol of GSH equivalents. Cu salicylate and Cu aspirinate exhibit somewhat milder effects of the same type. In contrast, Cu tyrosine causes a slight drop in GSH in starved animals. None of these treatments have any effect on the glutathione parameters in animals which have been fed. It is proposed that a starvation-induced increase in the stationary O(2) equilibrium concentration probably occurs. Superoxide radicals shift the redox status of glutathione in the direction of the disulphides. This situation can be partly reversed by intraportal administration of organic copper complexes.U