FTOX055 Dietary methionine imbalance in pregnant mice induces lipid peroxidation in the offspring liver

Several studies have demonstrated that a nutritional imbalance in maternal diet can affect organs metabolism and can cause risk of disease in the offspring life. One of the important nutrient present in the diet is the amino acid methionine (Met). It is required not only for protein synthesis, but also for methyl donation in the DNA methylation process. It is metabolized by liver and its byproduct, homocysteine, may increase reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. ROS can damage biological structures, such as lipid membrane and DNA, and trigger the lipid peroxidation. The lipid peroxidation products can be evaluated by the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) quantification. Therefore, it is important to assess how different Met intakes may affect the lipid peroxidation.