title: Brain regional lipid peroxidation and metallothionein levels of developing rats exposed to cadmium and dexamethasone.
abstract: Cadmium (Cd) is neurotoxic metal which induces histopathological damage and oxidative stress through free radicals over production. Metallothionein (MT) is a protein able to scavenge free radicals and to chelate metals. In this study we describe the lipid peroxidation (LPO) and MT content in the brain of developing rats exposed at Cd 1 mg/kg/day intra peritoneally (i.p.) and dexamethasone (Dx) 2 mg/kg/day (i.p.) alone and combined during 5 days. At those doses, cadmium significantly increases the levels of LPO in parietal cortex, striatum and cerebellum as compared to a control group while, in the hippocampus no modifications in the LPO levels were observed. In the group treated with Cd+Dx, Dx significantly diminished the levels of LPO in parietal cortex, striatum and cerebellum. On the other hand, the MT levels showed a significant increase in all regions of the groups treated with Dx and Cd+Dx as compared with the control group. These results show that Dx treatment prevented the increase in LPO levels associated to Cd exposure, probably through the increase in MT content.
authors.affiliation: Depto. Neuropatología, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía MVS, Mexico, Mexico.
authors.forename: Marisela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Méndez-Armenta
authors.forename: Juana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Villeda-Hernández
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barroso-Moguel
authors.forename: Concepción
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nava-Ruíz
authors.forename: Maria E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Jiménez-Capdeville
authors.forename: Camilo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ríos
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects*; D002104:Cadmium / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000633:toxicity*; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000378:metabolism*; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D002104:Cadmium; D003907:Dexamethasone; D008668:Metallothionein