Protective effect of 17β-estradiol on oxidative stress and liver dysfunction in aged male rats

In aging liver oxidative stress increases due to the decrease in antioxidant bio-molecules such as estrogens which can be modified by hormonal replacement therapy (HRT). With this in mind, we hypothesized that age-related decline in steroidogenesis may be associated with the impairment of the antioxidant defense cells in liver, the increase in lipid peroxidation, hepatic dysfunction and histological changes; estrogens prevent all these changes induced by aging. 17β-estradiol treatment was initiated in 12 month-old Wistar rats, and continued until 18 months of age. Our results showed that 17β-estradiol (E2) level in the serum of the aged untreated rats was reduced by −32% in 18 month-old rats compared to the young animals (4-month-old). The superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and gluthatione peroxidase (GPX) activities were reduced by −47, −46, and −29% respectively in old rat liver. In addition, the TBARs in liver and hepatic dysfunction parameters in plasma such as gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), phosphatase alkalin (PAL) as well as bilirubin level increased significantly in old rats, and histological changes were investigated. In E2-treated rats, protective effects were observed. Indeed, 17β-estradiol attenuates all changes induced by aging. The 17β-estradiol level was higher in old E2-treated rats compared to the control rats. Moreover, the SOD, CAT and GPX activities were higher by +28, +15, and +11% respectively. This anti-aging effect of estrogens was clarified by a lower level of lipid peroxidation and liver dysfunction parameters as well as by histological observation.