title: Effects of alpha-tocopherol on serum trace and major elements in rats with bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis.
abstract: The study was undertaken to investigate the influence of alpha-tocopherol on zinc, copper, iron, calcium, magnesium, and potassium concentrations in serum of rats with bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis. Fourteen Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into two groups of seven animals each. The first group was treated intratracheally with bleomycin hydrochloride (BM group); the second group was also instilled with BM but received injections of alpha-tocopherol twice a week (BM+E group). The third group was treated in the same manner with saline solution only, acting as controls (C). The zinc concentrations of the BM and BM+E groups were significantly decreased compared to the controls (p<0.05). The iron concentration of the controls was significantly higher than the other two groups. The magnesium concentration in the controls and the BM+E group was significantly higher than that of the BM group. The serum copper, calcium, and potassium concentrations were not found to be statistically different among the three groups. Distinct histopathologic changes were found in the BM group compared to the untreated rats. Less severe fibrotic lesions were also observed in the BM+E group. The results of this study show that lungs of rats treated with bleomycin were seriously damaged and that vitamin E seemed to counteract some of the damage, as indicated by differences in the serum concentrations of major elements.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Yuzuncu Yil, 65080 Van, Turkey.
authors.forename: Semiha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dede
authors.forename: Handan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mert
authors.forename: Nihat
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mert
authors.forename: Fatmagül
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yur
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ertekin
authors.forename: Yeter
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Deger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000633:toxicity*; D008297:Male; D011658:Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000139:chemically induced; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000097:blood*; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D014131:Trace Elements; D001761:Bleomycin; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol