Effects of N-acetyl cysteine and sodium selenite on rats with acute exposure to cadmium

  Objective   To study the effects of Nacetyl cysteine and sodium selenite on liverand kidney of rats with acute exposure to cadmium.

  Methods   32 Wistar rats were randamly divided intofour groups.Control group was injected sc with 0.9% NaCl; Cadmium chloride group was injected sc with 35 mol/kg CdCl₂; Others were pretreated by administering ip injection of 1 mmol/kg NAC(N acetyl cysteine)and 10 mol/kg Na₂SeO₃ respectively 2 hour before the injection of CdCl₂.L iver, kidney cortexand blood samples were collected 24 hours after CdCl₂ administration.LDH(lact ic dehydrogenase), GPT(glutamic pyruvic transaminase)activities in serum were determined Cd(lacdmium), MDA(malondial dehyde)and GSH(glutathion)contents in liverand renal cortexas well as GSHPx(glutathion peroxidase)activities were mensurated.

  Results   Compared with control group, LDH and GPTactivities in serum and Cd contents in both liverand renal cortex with Cd alone were obviously increased.GSH, MDA contents in liver were increased significantly and GSHPxactivities were obviously decreased with Cd alone.Contrast with the group of given Cd alone, LDH and GPTact ivities in serum and GSH, MDA contents in liver with the administration of NAC were decreased significantly.Cd contentsn both liverand renal cortexalso decreased significantly; The pretreatment of Na₂SeO₃ had significantly reduced LDH, GPTactivities in serum; GSH and Cd contents in both liverand renal cortex were alsoreduced significantly.It also obviously increased GSHPxactivities in liverand MDA con tents in renal cortexas compared with those given Cd alone.

  Conclusions   NAC and Na₂SeO₃ may have protect ive effects on Cd induced acute hepatictoxicity, which may relate to the content of GSH and the activities of GSH-Px.