Mitochondrial lipid peroxides and antioxidant enzymes in the liver following phorone-induced glutathione depletion.

The levels of lipid peroxidation product (malondialdehyde = MDA) and vitamin C and the activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were determined in the liver and its mitochondrial fraction, in the rats 2 and 18 hr after the injection of phorone, a glutathione (GSH) depleting agent. GSH levels decreased in liver homogenate and its mitochondrial fraction after 2 hr of phorone treatment, but these values returned to normal levels at 18 hr. In GSH depleted conditions, hepatic vitamin C levels increased, GSH-Px and SOD activities remained unchanged in mitochondrial and post-mitochondrial fractions. These results indicate that GSH depletion per se does not influence lipid peroxidation and GSH-Px and SOD activities in the liver and the mitochondrial fraction.