title: The effect of lipoic acid on cyanate toxicity in different structures of the rat brain.
abstract: Cyanate is formed mostly during nonenzymatic urea biodegradation. Its active form isocyanate reacts with protein -NH2 and -SH groups, which changes their structure and function. The present studies aimed to investigate the effect of cyanate on activity of the enzymes, which possess -SH groups in the active centers and are implicated in anaerobic cysteine transformation and cyanide detoxification, as well as on glutathione level and peroxidative processes in different brain structures of the rat: cortex, striatum, hippocampus, and substantia nigra. In addition, we examined whether a concomitant treatment with lipoate, a dithiol that may act as a target of S-carbamoylation, can prevent these changes. Cyanate-inhibited sulfurtransferase activities and lowered sulfide level, which was accompanied by a decrease in glutathione concentration and elevation of reactive oxygen species level in almost all rat brain structures. Lipoate administered in combination with cyanate was able to prevent the above-mentioned negative cyanate-induced changes in a majority of the examined brain structures. These observations can be promising for chronic renal failure patients since lipoate can play a double role in these patients contributing to efficient antioxidant defense and protection against cyanate and cyanide toxicity.
authors.affiliation: The Chair of Medical Biochemistry, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 7, Kopernik Street, 31-034, Kraków, Poland. mbsokolo@cyf-kr.edu.pl
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sokołowska
authors.forename: Elżbieta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lorenc-Koci
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bilska
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iciek
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D011190:Potassium Cyanide / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000633:toxicity*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D008063:Thioctic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D008063:Thioctic Acid; D005978:Glutathione; D011190:Potassium Cyanide