Methionine restriction inhibits colon carcinogenesis.

Previously, we demonstrated that life-long methionine restriction (MR) in rats increases life span and inhibits aging-related disease processes. The present study examines the effects of MR on the formation of preneoplastic aberrant crypt foci (ACF) in the colon of azoxymethane (AOM)-treated rats. Six-week-old male F344 rats were placed on essential amino acid-defined diets containing either 0.86% Met (control diet) or 0.17% Met (MR diet) and 1 wk later were given AOM (15 mg/kg/wk, s.c.) for 2 consecutive wk. Ten weeks after the final AOM treatment, ACF formation was markedly reduced in rats fed the MR diet with ACF containing > or = 4 crypts/focus being reduced by over 80% compared to controls (P < 0.001). A similar 83% reduction in ACF containing > or = 4 crypts/focus was observed in rats fed the MR diet only during the post-initiation period (after the final dose of AOM; P < 0.001). Five weeks after AOM administration, a 12% reduction in colonic cell proliferation was observed in MR rats compared to controls (P < 0.05). These results show that MR inhibits colonic tumor development in the rat, an effect that occurs primarily during post-initiation phases of carcinogenesis and may be due, in part, to an inhibition of colonic cell proliferation.

Tissue glutathione and cysteine levels in methionine-restricted rats.

OBJECTIVE: Previously, we demonstrated that lifelong methionine (Met) restriction (MR) increases lifespan, decreases the incidence of aging-related diseases, increases blood glutathione (GSH) levels, and prevents loss of GSH during aging in rats. Our present objective was to elucidate the effects of MR on GSH metabolism and transport by determining the time course and nature of GSH and cysteine changes in blood and other tissues in young and mature rats. METHODS: Male F-344 rats were placed on control (0.86% Met) or MR (0.17% Met) defined amino acid diets at age 7 wk and killed at different times thereafter. MR was also initiated in adult (12-mo-old) rats. RESULTS: Throughout the first 2 mo of MR, blood GSH levels increased 84% and liver GSH decreased 66% in relation to controls. After this period, liver GSH levels remained constant through at least 6 mo. GSH levels also decreased in the pancreas (80%) and kidney (22%) but remained unchanged in other tissues examined after 11 wk of MR. The increase in blood GSH was evident as soon as 1 wk after initiating MR and reached a plateau by 6 wk. A similar increase in erythrocyte GSH levels was observed when MR was administered to mature adult rats. Fasting decreased liver GSH in controls but had no further effect in MR animals. By 1 mo, cysteine levels had decreased in all tissues except brain. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that adaptive changes occur in the metabolism of Met, cysteine, and/or GSH as a result of MR in young and adult rats. These early metabolic changes lead to conservation of GSH levels in most extrahepatic tissues and increased GSH in erythrocytes by depleting liver GSH to a critical level.

Protein glutathiolation in human blood.

Glutathione (GSH) exists in both free and protein-bound (glutathiolated) forms (GSSP). Protein glutathiolation may represent an important post-translational regulatory mechanism for proteins. However, there are little data regarding the regulation of glutathiolation in blood. Our objectives were to examine GSSP levels of human blood by determining the distribution and variability of blood GSSP, as well as its relationship to free GSH and hemoglobin in healthy adults. To this end, we used a newly modified method allowing for rapid analysis of both GSH and GSSP in blood. GSSP was found in red cells with levels ranging from 4 to 27% of total (free+bound) GSH (mean+/-SD: 12.1+/-4.5%) with a concentration of 0.13+/-0.05 microEq GSH/mL (mean+/-SD). No correlations were observed between GSSP and either GSH (r=-0.085) or hemoglobin (r=0.086). Together these results suggest that the extent of protein glutathiolation in blood is substantial ( approximately 0.1 mmol/L). While the interindividual variation in GSSP is large (34%), its levels are apparently not regulated by GSH content.