Evaluation of metallothioneins, oxidative stress and signs of cytotoxicity in young obese women

Abstract

Obesity is rapidly increasing all over the world and pretends to be the global medical and social problem. Thus, the understanding of early signs of obesity and suitable biomarkers is urgently needed for developing an adequate strategy of the obesity prevention and a decrease in its growth rate. The parameters of the lipids’ metabolism and oxidative stress, metallothioneins and signs of cytotoxicity have been investigated in blood samples of young obese women (O-group, 32 < Body Mass Index (BMI) < 37). With regard to persons of O-group they had higher catalase activity (by 435%), level of reactive oxygen species (by 129%), level of oxidised glutathione (by 55%), lipid peroxidation (by 26%) and protein carbonyls (by 345%) in the blood, when compared with control. The obesity was accompanied by an increase in concentration of metallothioneins which have a partial tread effect on radical processes and reduce manifestations of oxidative damage to biomolecules in obese patients. The obese women had the signs of cytotoxicity as higher lactate dehydrogenase activity (by 387%) and DNA fragmentation (by 42%). The principal component analysis revealed the set of biological traits which describes the obesity progress and it included metallothioneins, parameters of oxidative stress, cytotoxicity, BMI and a concentration of low density lipoproteins and total cholesterol. The BMI was in a good correlation with parameters of the lipid metabolism, oxidative injury and cytotoxicity (r > |0.73|, p < 0.001).