Effect of selenium on cadmium-induced oxidative stress and esterase activity in rat organs
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Date
2013
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
South African Journal of Science
Abstract
Metal toxicity is a threat mainly in the industrialised world where industry discharges many toxic metals
into the environment. We investigated the effects of two metals – cadmium and selenium – on the cytosolic
antioxidant enzymes and esterases in the liver, kidneys and testes of rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats
(n=28) were divided equally into four groups: control, cadmium, selenium and cadmium/selenium. Salts
of the metals were administered intraperitoneally for 15 days. In the liver, cadmium treatment (1.67 mg/kg
per day) resulted in a decrease in catalase activity and an increase superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity.
Selenium treatment (0.23 mg/kg per day) resulted in increases in glutathione s-transferase, catalase and
DT-diaphorase activities. Treatment with both cadmium and selenium resulted in an increase in glutathione
peroxidase (GPx) activity. Esterase activities were significantly lower in the presence of cadmium. In the
kidney, cadmium treatment caused a decrease in catalase, DT-diaphorase, and SOD activities and selenium
supplementation reversed the cadmium-induced decrease in these enzyme activities. Selenium treatment
increased catalase and SOD activities in the kidney. In the testis, cadmium treatment decreased GPx and SOD
activities, but at the same time increased catalase and DT-diaphorase activities. Esterase activities increased
in the presence of selenium in both the kidney and testis. These results suggest that selenium might be
toxic to the liver while at the same time play a protective role against cadmium-induced oxidative stress and
toxicity in the kidney and testis.
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The Authors.
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Keywords
selenium, cadmium, antioxidant, oxidative stress, rate organs
Citation
Dzobo, K. and Naik, Y.S. (2013) ‘Effect of selenium on cadmium-induced oxidative stress and esterase activity in rat organs’, South African Journal of Science, 109(5/6), pp. 1–8. doi: 10.1590/sajs.2013/965.