title: Effect of acute aluminum phosphide exposure on rats: a biochemical and histological correlation.
abstract: Aluminum phosphide (AlP), a widely used fumigant and rodenticide leads to high mortality if ingested. Its toxicity is due to phosphine liberated when it comes in contact with moisture. The exact mechanism of action of phosphine is not known. In this study male Wistar rats were used. The animals received a single dose (20mg AlP/kg body weight i.g.) orally. Basic serum biochemical parameters, activity of mitochondrial complexes, antioxidant enzymes and parameters of oxidative stress, individual mitochondrial cytochrome levels were measured along with tissue histopathology and immunostaining for cytochrome c and compared with controls. The serum levels of creatinine kinase-MB, lactate dehydrogenase, magnesium and cortisol were higher (p<0.01); the activities of mitochondrial complexes I, II, IV were observed to be significantly decreased in liver tissue in treated rats (p<0.01). The activity of catalase was lower (p<0.05) with a significant increase in lipid peroxidation (p<0.05) whereas superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase were unaffected in them. There was a significant decrease in all the cytochromes in brain and liver tissues (p<0.05) with the exception of cytochrome b in brain, the levels of which remained same. Histopathology revealed congestion in most organs with centrizonal hemorrhagic necrosis in liver. Ultra structural changes indicating mitochondrial injury was observed in heart, liver and kidney tissues. There was also a marked reduction in the cytochrome-c immunostaining compared to the controls. Toxicity due to AlP appears to result as a consequence of both-energy insufficiency and oxidative stress, with a possible and preferential interaction with the tissue cytochromes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Anand
authors.forename: Priyanka
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kumari
authors.forename: Alka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kaushal
authors.forename: Amanjit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bal
authors.forename: Willayat Y
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Wani
authors.forename: Aditya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sunkaria
authors.forename: Raina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dua
authors.forename: Surjit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Ashish
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bhalla
authors.forename: Kiran Dip
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Gill
mesh_terms: D017607:Aluminum Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D045304:Cytochromes c / Q000378:metabolism; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000378:metabolism; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008930:Mitochondria, Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009245:NADH Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D010085:Oxidative Phosphorylation; D010575:Pesticides / Q000633:toxicity*; D010720:Phosphines / Q000633:toxicity*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013385:Succinate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D017607:Aluminum Compounds; D010575:Pesticides; D010720:Phosphines; D045304:Cytochromes c; C001864:aluminum phosphide; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D002374:Catalase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D013385:Succinate Dehydrogenase; D009245:NADH Dehydrogenase; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV