engleski

TISSUE IRON KINETICS IN EXPERIMENTAL AUTOIMMUNE ENCEPHALOMYELITIS IN RATS

Introduction: Iron is an essential nutrient that plays a key role in cell vitality. It is indispensable cofactor for enzymes involved in cell proliferation, respiration, folate metabolism and DNA synthesis, having a crucial role in metabolic pathways involved in electron transfer and ATP production. The redox potential of Fe2+/Fe3+ favors its use in a number of protein complexes, but as a part of the Fenton reaction ferrous iron may also catalyze the conversion of hydrogen peroxide to highly reactive hydroxyl radicals that damage DNA, proteins and lipids. Therefore, the maintenance of iron homeostasis in the body and in the cells must be balanced, to ensure enough iron for the metabolism, but to avoid excessive, toxic levels of iron that provoke oxidative tissue injuries. Materials and Methods: To elucidate the role of iron in the pathomechanisms of autoimmune CNS disorders we estimated the tissue concentrations of Fe2+ in the brain, spinal cord (SC) and liver in chronic relapsing (CR) form of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), induced in Dark Agouti (DA) strain of rats, by by bovine brain homogenate (BBH) in complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA). Control rats were treated with CFA or with saline solution. Tissue content of Fe was determined using ICP spectrometry after microwave digestion. The statistical analysis was performed using a Sigma Plot Scientific GraphingSystem, v.8.0. Results: The data obtained by clinical assessment and by inductively coupled plasma spectrometry have shown that in CR-EAE (induced by BBH+CFA) the attacks of disease were followed by high accumulation of iron in the liver (on the 12th post-immunization day, and on the 12th and the 22nd day). Similarly, in CR-EAE the lower iron content was found in cervical spinal cord during the second attack of disease. Conclusion: The data point to regulatory effects of iron and hepatic trace elements regulating mechanisms in the pathogenesis of EAE. The hepatic ratio of iron/copper and iron/zinc increases. Significant accumulation of iron was found in liver, which persisted during the later phases of EAE.

iron; experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

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