title: Role of antioxidant enzyme defence in sparing rat hepatocytes from toxicity of ricin at low dose.
abstract: Ricin, a glycoprotein from castor oil seeds, is specifically toxic to Kupffer cells and at low doses it leaves parenchymal cells comparatively unaffected. At a dose of approximately 1.5 microgram/100 g body weight, ricin significantly increases the hepatic antioxidant enzyme system in rats within 24 hr. Superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase show an increase in liver tissue levels of 19-24%. However, hepatic lipid peroxidation is elevated by about 34% and non-protein sulphydryl is reduced by 26%. The enhanced levels of antioxidant enzymes appear to protect the hepatocytes from the toxin. The observed elevation of hepatic thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances appears to originate mainly from the damaged Kupffer cells.
authors.affiliation: Radiation Medicine Centre, Tata Memorial Centre Annexe, Bombay, India.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sadani
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Nadkarni
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012276:Ricin / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D012276:Ricin