• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.507-516
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• 2000

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of vitamin C and vitamin E supplementation on the iron contents and oxidative stress of the rats. Rats were fed 18g ascorbic acid and 300IU $\alpha$-tocopherol/kg diet, respectively. Rats were sacrificed at 1, 3, 5 and 7 month of age. The blood, liver and brain were selected for the quantitation of iron and malondialdehyde(MDA) contents, glutathione peroxidase(GSHPx), superoxided dismutase(SOD) and catalase(CAT) activity. Iron and MDA contents and GSHPx activities were increased with aging. Vitamin C and Vitamin E supplementation increased iron contents of the plasma. Vitamin C raised iron contents, but vitamin E decreased iron contents of the liver. In the brain vitamin C and vitamin E did not affect the iron level. MDA levels were decreased with vitamin C and vitamin E supplementation in the erythrocyte and liver, and vitamin C supplementation elevated MDA levels in the brain. GSHPx activity was increased with vitamin C and vitamin E supplementation. SOD activities of erythroucyte and brain were not affected with age, but in the liver, SOD activity was raised with age and vitamin C supplementation. Vitamin C and vitamin E supplementation promoted CAT activity of erythroucyte and liver, and CAT activity of brain was eleveated with vitamin addition but was decreaed with vitamin E addition. Vitamin C and vitamin E decreased iron contents of blood plasma, MDA contents of plasma and liver, and CAT activity of erythrocyte. Above results indicated that iron contents and biomarkers of oxidative stress were more affected by age than antioxidant action of vitamin C and vitamin E.