Antioxidant enzyme activities in the lymphoid organs and muscles of rats fed fatty acids-rich diets subjected to prolonged physical exercise-training.

Rats weighing 45-50 g were fed 3 diets for 8 wk: a balanced control diet (CD) consisting of 4% fat (polyunsaturated/saturated fatty acids [P/S] ratio 2.9/1) and two fat-rich diets: polyunsaturated (UD)--P/S 7.6/1 and saturated (SD) P/S 0.3/1. After 8 wk feeding on the respective diets, rats were subjected to swimming for 90 min at 30 degrees C daily, 5 d/wk for 8 wk. At the end of this period, the rats were killed and the lymphoid organs (LO--thymus, spleen, and mesenteric lymph nodes) and muscles (soleus and gastrocnemius) removed for the measurement of TBARs (Thiobarbituric Acid Reactant Substances) content and of the activities of antioxidant enzymes (CuZn- and Mn-Superoxide dismutase--SOD--, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase). To evaluate the changes in the sites of generation of reducing equivalents involved in the formation of free radicals, the activities of citrate synthase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase were measured. The exercise-training clearly modified the enzyme activities and TBARs content of the lymphoid organs and skeletal muscles, but this effect was dependent upon the diet given to the rats. However, fatty acid rich diets had presented a more pronounced effect on the studied aspects than did physical activity. Although one could expect a summatory effect of polyunsaturated fatty acid-rich diet and exercise-training, swimming increased the activities of CuZn- and Mn-SOD in almost all tissues from the elevated level promoted by fat-rich diets.