title: Chromium VI administration induces oxidative stress in hypothalamus and anterior pituitary gland from male rats.
abstract: Hexavalent chromium (Cr VI)-containing compounds are known carcinogens which are present in industrial settings and in the environment. The major route of chromium exposure for the general population is oral intake. Previously we have observed that Cr VI affects anterior pituitary secretion and causes oxidative stress in vitro. The aim of the present work was to investigate if in vivo Cr VI treatment (100 ppm of Cr VI in drinking water for up 30 days) causes oxidative stress in hypothalamus and anterior pituitary gland from male rats. This treatment produced a 4-fold increase of chromium content in hypothalamus and 10-fold increase in anterior pituitary gland. Lipid peroxidation showed a significant increase in hypothalamus and anterior pituitary. Cr VI augmented superoxide dismutase activity in anterior pituitary gland and glutathione reductase activity in hypothalamus, but glutathione peroxidase and catalase activities remained unchanged in both tissues. Heme oxygenase-1 mRNA expression significantly rose in both tissues. Metallothionein 1 mRNA content increased in anterior pituitary and metallothionein 3 mRNA increased in hypothalamus. These results show, for the first time, that oral chronic administration of Cr VI produces oxidative stress on the hypothalamus and anterior pituitary gland which may affect normal endocrine function.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química Biológica - IQUIFIB, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires Junín 956, Buenos Aires (C1113AAD), Argentina.
authors.forename: Silvana I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Nudler
authors.forename: Fernanda A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Quinteros
authors.forename: Eliana A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Miler
authors.forename: Jimena P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Cabilla
authors.forename: Sonia A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Ronchetti
authors.forename: Beatriz H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Duvilanski
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D011192:Potassium Dichromate / Q000633:toxicity*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D002374:Catalase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D011192:Potassium Dichromate