title: Effects of dietary alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene on lipid peroxidation induced by methyl mercuric chloride in mice.
abstract: Exposure of male CBA mice to methyl mercuric chloride, CH3HgCl, (10-40 mg/l in drinking water) for 2 weeks resulted in dose-related Hg deposition and enhanced lipid peroxidation in liver, kidney and brain. Mice were fed well-defined semisynthetic diets containing different levels of alpha-tocopherol (10, 100 or 1000 mg/kg) or beta-carotene (1000, 10,000 or 100,000 IU/kg) for four weeks, two groups on each diet. The concentrations of alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene used corresponded to deficient, normal and high levels. During the last two weeks, one group on each diet was given 40 mg CH3HgCl/l of drinking water. High dietary alpha-tocopherol protected against CH3HgCl induced hepatic lipid peroxidation, whereas the alpha-tocopherol deficient diet further enhanced CH3HgCl induced hepatic lipid peroxidation. Similar, though statistically non-significant effects occurred in the kidneys, alpha-Tocopherol did not protect against CH3HgCl induced lipid peroxidation in the brain. Excess dietary beta-carotene further enhanced CH3HgCl induced lipid peroxidation in liver, kidney and brain. CH3HgCl significantly decreased the activity of total glutathione peroxidase (T-GSH-Px) and Se-dependent glutathione peroxidase (Se-GSH-Px) in the kidneys in all dietary groups. High dietary alpha-tocopherol enhanced the activity of Se-GSH-Px in liver and kidney compared to the activity in mice fed the normal level of alpha-tocopherol. This occurred in mice exposed to CH3-HgCl as well as in unexposed mice, and the difference between CH3HgCl exposed and unexposed mice was not diminished. High dietary alpha-tocopherol increased the activity of both Se-GSH-Px and T-GSH-Px in the brain of CH3HgCl-exposed mice. The dietary level of beta-carotene did not affect the activity of the two enzymes in the organs investigated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Odense, Denmark.
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Andersen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004032:Diet; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D008630:Mercury Poisoning / Q000378:metabolism*; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*; D051379:Mice; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019207:beta Carotene
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds; D019207:beta Carotene; D014810:Vitamin E; D002338:Carotenoids; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D005978:Glutathione; C004925:methylmercuric chloride