Cadmium intoxication of pregnant rats and fetuses: interactions of copper supplementation.
OBJECTIVE
Cadmium (Cd) is an industrial and environmental pollutant that was shown to be involved in the development of some diseases. Due to high amounts of Cd in cigarettes, smokers and passive smokers are exposed to high amount of Cd. We aimed to determine whether Copper (Cu) supplementation would have a protective effect against Cd intoxication in pregnant rats and their fetuses.


METHODS
Experiments were performed on 27 adult female Wistar albino rats divided into three experimental groups. CdCl(2), CdCl(2) plus CuSO(4) and only drinking water was given to different groups for 21 days. We measured cadmium (Cd), malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH), myeloperoxidase (MPO), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) levels in dams' liver, dams' kidney, fetus liver, fetus kidney, and placenta of rats.


RESULTS
In all tissues of Cd and Cd + Cu-treated groups, Cd levels were found to be increased significantly when compared to control group. MDA levels and MPO activities were significantly increased whereas GSH levels, activities of SOD and CAT were decreased in Cd groups when compared to control group. Cu supplementation significantly prevented the increment in MDA levels and brought MPO activities back to control levels or below. Cd-induced reductions in GSH levels and SOD activities were also prevented by Cu supplementation. An increase of CAT activity after Cu supplementation was enough to revert to the control levels in some tissues.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that Cu supplementation may have a protective effect against the Cd-induced oxidative stress in liver, kidney and placental tissues of pregnant rats and fetuses.
Enli
Yasar
Y
Department of Biochemistry, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey. enli21@yahoo.com
Turgut
Sebahat
S
Oztekin
Ozer
O
Demir
Suleyman
S
Enli
Havane
H
Turgut
Gunfer
G
D000818:Animals; D002104:Cadmium / Q000633:toxicity*; D003300:Copper / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000187:drug effects*; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D002104:Cadmium; D003300:Copper