Non-enzymatic lipid peroxidation of rat liver nuclei and chromatin fractions.

In the study reported here, the non-enzymatic (ascorbate-Fe2+) lipid peroxidation of rat liver nuclei and chromatin fractions was assayed. Chromatin obtained by sonication of nuclei suspended in 0.25 M sucrose was fractionated by differential sedimentation according to the following scheme: 3000, 12,000 and 27,500 g for 10 min each. The lowest density chromatin fraction was obtained by precipitation with cold ethanol of the supernatant obtained from the last centrifugation. Light emission = chemiluminescence, measured as cpm/mg protein, decreased in the order heavy > low density chromatin fractions during the peroxidation process. Analysis of fatty acids by gas chromatography showed that heavy density chromatin fractions are enriched with C20:4 n6 arachidonic acid, when compared with low density chromatin fractions. The amount of arachidonic acid C20:4 n6 was higher in repressed chromatin fractions as compared to the amount in the transcriptionally active chromatin which correlates with the level of lipid peroxidation.