The Open Nutrition Journal

2012, 6 : 131-136
Published online 2012 December 28. DOI: 10.2174/1874288201206010131
Publisher ID: TONUTRJ-6-131

Organ Specific Changes in Markers of Oxidative Stress in Choline, Carnitine and Caffeine Supplemented and Exercised Rats

Dileep S. Sachan , Maike Johnsen and Nobuko Hongu
Department of Nutrition, College of Education, Health and Human Sciences; and Agricultural Experiment Station, Uni-versity of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN USA.

ABSTRACT

Objective:

of this study was to determine changes in oxidative indices in tissues of exercised rats fed diet forti-fied with choline, carnitine and caffeine; and relate to those reported in humans.

Methods:

7-week old male Sprague-Dawley rats were studied for five weeks. Diets were supplemented with choline, carnitine and caffeine and rats were either exercised or not during the last 2 weeks of the dietary regimen. Tissue samples were collected at the end of the period and analyzed for the concentrations of TBARS, hydroperoxides and protein car-bonyls.

Results:

The changes modulated by the supplement as well as exercise regimens in the oxidative stress markers were tis-sue specific. The changes in serum TBARS of rats were unlike those in women under similar conditions of treatment we reported earlier.

Conclusions:

The effects of choline, carnitine and caffeine supplements on the indices of oxidative stress were tissue spe-cific and were not always correlated with serum TBARS. The changes in serum TBARS in rats were contrary to those re-ported in humans under similar conditions of treatment.

Keywords:

Caffeine, carnitine, choline.