African Journal of
Biochemistry Research

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Biochem. Res.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1996-0778
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJBR
  • Start Year: 2007
  • Published Articles: 426

Full Length Research Paper

Unutilized energy reserves and mineral contents of fibroid tissues suggesting perturbed membrane transport processes

Ibegbulem C. O.1*, Agha N. C.1 and Emeka-Nwabunnia I.2
1Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria. 2Department of Biotechnology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria.
Email: [email protected]

  •  Accepted: 21 February 2012
  •  Published: 29 February 2012

Abstract

Compositions of intramural uterine fibroid (IUF) and subserous uterine fibroid (SUF) tissues were studied. Results showed that IUF and SUF, respectively, contained (%) 77.26 ± 0.05 and 77.49 ± 0.02 moisture and 22.74 ± 0.05 and 22.52 ± 0.02 dry matter, on wet-weight basis. Their respective moisture, crude fat, crude protein, ash and total carbohydrates (%) were 4.67 ± 0.05 and 4.38 ± 0.17, 8.29 ± 0.41 and 5.84 ± 0.43, 72.66 ± 0.72 and 65.16 ± 0.91, 4.39 ± 0.08 and 4.22 ± 0.03 and 10.01 ± 1.18 and 20.40 ± 1.45 while their energy contents (kcal/ 100g) were 405.29 and 394.80, respectively, on dry-matter basis. Their crude fats contained fatty acids, triacylglycerols and cholesterol while their total carbohydrates contained glucose and glycogen. Ca2+, Fe2+, Zn2+, K+, Na+ and Mg2+ contents (mg/ 100g) showed that Na+ was the most abundant mineral amongst them unlike the norm in cells where Kis the most abundant. The tissues contained high [Ca2+] and [Fe2+], low [Zn2+], [K+] and [Mg2+] and comparable [Na+] relative to cells. These suggested that Na+/ K+-ATPase activity may have been decreased or inhibited by either high [oestrogen] which is a pre-disposing factor to fibroid or low [Mg2+] which may have decreased or inhibited the activity of the electrochemical Na+ gradient-dependent Ca2+transporter. Zn2+ transporter activity seemed to have been decreased or inhibited while cellular influx of Fe2+ seemed to have been increased. The results showed that the IUF and SUF had unutilized energy reserves and mineral contents suggestive of perturbed membrane transport activities.

 

Key words: Energy reserve, fibroid, minerals, membrane transport, proximate composition.