title: Erythrocyte antioxidant enzymes in toxicological evaluation of commonly used organophosphate pesticides.
abstract: Erythrocytes are excellent models for the study of interactions of xenobiotics with biomembranes. Present work is designed to study the in vitro effects of some organophosphates (ethion, chlorpyrifos, dimethoate and monocrotophos) on rat erythrocytes. Treatment of erythrocytes with organophosphates resulted in decreased erythrocyte glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) activity, whereas activities of glutathione-s-transferase (GST) and glutathione reductase (GR) were increased. Reduced Glutathione (GSH) content of RBCs was decreased after treatment with the pesticides. Increased activities of GST and GR were due to induction of natural defense mechanism of erythrocytes against the toxicity of the pesticides. Membrane bound enzymes like acetylcholinesterase (AChE), Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase and Ca(2+)-ATPase were also inhibited. Altered activities of these enzymes along with decreased GSH content indicate increased oxidative stress in erythrocytes after treatment with organophosphates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160 014, India.
authors.forename: Mohan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Rajat
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sandhir
authors.forename: Ravi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kiran
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000633:toxicity*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D010755:Organophosphates / Q000633:toxicity*; D010575:Pesticides / Q000633:toxicity*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D010755:Organophosphates; D010575:Pesticides