Effect of glycine on oxidative stress in rats with alcohol induced liver injury

We studied the effect of administering glycine on tissue lipid peroxidation and enzymic and non-enzymic antioxidants in experimental hepatotoxic Wistar rats. Hepatotoxicity was induced by administering ethanol for 30 days by intragastric intubation. Glycine administered at a dose of 0.6 g kg(-1) body weight for 30 days significantly inhibited the severe oxidative stress as evidenced by the decreased levels of liver and brain thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and hydroperoxides compared to control. The activities of enzymic and non-enzymic antioxidants such as reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in the liver and brain were significantly elevated on glycine supplementation as compared to the untreated alcohol fed rats. The levels of serum vitamin E and vitamin C were also increased to near normal levels on glycine treatment. Microscopic examination of alcohol treated rat liver showed inflammatory cell infiltrates and fatty changes, which were alleviated on treatment with glycine. Alcohol treated rat brain demonstrated oedma, which was significantly lowered on treatment with glycine. Thus our study shows that administering glycine to alcohol supplemented rats, markedly reduced the oxidative stress and elevated the enzymic and non-enzymic antioxidants in the liver and brain, which a was associated with a reversal of hepatic steatosis and cerebral oedma.