Plasma homocysteine and liver tissue S-adenosylmethionine, S-adenosylhomocysteine status in vitamin B6-deficient rats.

OBJECTIVE : The aim of this study was to evaluate plasma homocysteine (Hcy), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH) levels, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activities and liver tissue S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) and S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) levels in control and vitamin B6-deficient rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-two male rats with a weight of 65-75 g were used for the experiment. The rats were divided into control (n=16) and vitamin B6-deficient groups. At the end of the experiment, the animals were anes - thetized with ketamine-HCl (Ketalar, 20 mg/kg, i.p.), and the blood was collected by cardiac puncture after thoracotomy. Plasma Hcy, pyri - doxal phosphate (PLP), liver SAM, SAH levels measured by an isocratic system with high per - formance liquid chromatography. Plasma GSH- Px, GST activities and GSH, MDA levels were carried out using a spectrophotometer. RESULTS: Plasma Hcy, MDA, liver tissue SAH levels were significantly increased, whereas plas - ma GSH, PLP, liver tissue SAM levels, plasma GST, GSH-Px activities and SAM/SAH ratio were decreased compared to those of control group. CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin B 6 deficiency causes an increase in plasma homocysteine levels. Thus, we think that vitamin B 6 supplementation could be used for therapeutic purposes in hyper - homocysteinemia condition.