Effects of alum on lipid peroxidation and trace elements in rat brain

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of alum on lipid peroxidation of brain and the contents of trace elements including copper(Cu),manganese(Mn),ferrum(Fe),zinc(Zn)in the brain for the study of mechanism of alum impact on nervous system.MethodsThirty-two Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups,administered with alum by oral for four weeks.The content of malondialdehyde(MDA),the activities of superoxide dismutase(SOD)and glutathione per-oxidase(GSH-Px)were detected.The concentrations of Al,Cu,Mn,Fe,and Zn in the brain of the rats were determined with atomic absorption spectrophotometry(AAS).ResultsThe MDA content of control group was 1.16±0.26 nmol/mgprot, and that of administration group were 1.64±0.25,2.10±0.36,and 2.33±0.27 nmol/mgprot,which showed significant differences(P<0.01).Activities of SOD and GSH-Px decreased with significant differences between the high dose group and the control group(P<0.05).The activity of GSH-Px showed significant differences between the moderate,high dose groups and the control group(P<0.05).Compared with the control group,Al levels were siginificantly increased (2.19±0.39,2.48±0.33,3.52±0.41 vs 0.55±0.12)(P<0.01);the levels of Cu,Mn,Fe,Zn were lower than the con-trol group.ConclusionOral alum exposure can impair the level of lipid peroxidation,which may be one of mechanisms of neurotoxic effect in rats.