Alcohol and thermally oxidized pufa induced oxidative stress: role of N-acetyl cysteine.

Alcohol related disabilities are one of the world's major public health concerns. The effects of alcohol intake include alteration of redox state, acetaldehyde and free radical production, which lead to membrane damage. The damage caused by alcohol is enhanced by polyunsaturated fatty acid ingestion. When alcohol is taken along with thermally oxidized sunflower oil, the toxicity is still more pronounced due to toxic metabolites produced during heating. In our study, we have analysed the effects of a thiol supplier N-acetyl cysteine on alcohol, thermally oxidized sunflower oil and alcohol + thermally oxidized sunflower oil induced toxic effects in male Wistar rats. The activities of liver marker enzymes (alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl transferase), triglycerides in plasma and lipid peroxidative indices (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and hydroperoxides) were increased in these groups when compared to normal, which were brought down in N-acetyl cysteine treated groups. The antioxidant status (Superoxide dismutase, catalase, reduced glutathione, glutathione peroxidase) was decreased in tissues of these groups, which were found to be improved in N-acetyl cysteine treated groups. Thus our results show that N-acetyl cysteine regresses the oxidative damage induced by Alcohol, thermally oxidized sunflower oil and alcohol + thermally oxidized sunflower oil.