Esterases pattern in rats treated with homocysteine and betaine

Abstract EN

The effects of homocysteine (Hcys) and/or the antioxidant Betaine (Bet) on the esterase activities of spleen and serum samples of rats were compared with control animals by using polyachrylamide gel electrophoresis by using two different substrates.

Male albino rats were divided into four groups.

Group (I) was considered as a control group, while groups (II), (III) and (IV) were orally administered with Bet (0.6 mg/kg b.wt.), Hcys (0.6 g/kg b.wt.) or both Hcys and Bet respectively for 8 weeks.

Rats were sacrificed after 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks and samples from spleen and sera were prepared for the determination of esterase activities.

The electrophoretic pattern of ?-esterase revealed 17 and 14 bands for the sera and spleen respectively.

The number of common bands for sera of all the experimental groups was 3 with relative fragmentation (RF) of 0.14, 0.2 and 0.57, while the number of common bands for the spleen was 4 with RF of 0.085, 0.22, 0.36 and 0.66.

Concerning ?-esterase, the number of electrophoretic bands were 17 and 18 for serum and spleen respectively.

Two common bands were recorded for each with RF 0.24 and 0.68 for sera and 0.055 and 0.14 for the spleen.

The recorded changes in esterases pattern due to treatment with Hcys and/or Bet were associated with weight disturbance and aggressive behavior in rats treated with Hcys.