title: An evaluation of the protective role of α-tocopherol on free radical induced hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity due to chromium in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To avert the health problems induced by many environmental pollutants, available antioxidants have been evaluated. The present study was aimed to investigate whether α-tocopherol could protect the hexavalent chromium (Cr VI)-induced peroxidation in the liver and kidney and to explore the underlying mechanism of the same.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 24 Wistar adult female rats were equally divided into four groups. Group 1 served as control while Groups 2 and 3 were administered K2Cr2O7(10 mg/kg b.wt. s.c. single dose). In addition to (Cr VI), Group 3 also received α-tocopherol (125 mg/kg, daily) by oral gavage for 14 days. Group 4 was maintained as α-tocopherol control (dose as above). At the end of 14 days, blood samples were drawn for hematology. Subsequently, all the rats were sacrificed to collect liver and kidney samples for assay of tissue peroxidation markers, antioxidant markers and functional markers and histopathology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Administration of chromium (Cr VI) in Group 2 significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the antioxidant markers such as superoxide dismutase and reduced glutathione along with significant (P < 0.05) increase in peroxidation markers such as malondialdehyde and protein carbonyls in the liver and kidney as compared with other groups. The functional markers in serum such as total protein was decreased significantly (P < 0.05), whereas other functional markers viz. alanine transaminase, blood urea nitrogen and creatinine were increased significantly (P < 0.05) in Group 2 as compared with the other groups. Significant (P < 0.05) decrease in hemoglobin, packed cell volume, total erythrocyte count, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin and total leukocyte count were observed in Cr VI treated Group 2 rats. Prominent pathological changes were observed in the liver and kidney of Group 2. Co-treatment with α-tocopherol in Group 3 rats significantly (P < 0.05) reversed the Cr VI induced changes. The parameters in the study in Group 4 did not differ as compared with Group 1.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  α-tocopherol exhibited protective effect against Cr VI-induced damage to the liver and kidney by inhibition of lipid peroxidation owing its antioxidant activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Veterinary Science, Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Rajendran
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Balakrishnan
authors.forename: Chitturi Sree Venkat
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Satish Kumar
authors.forename: Matukumalli Usha
authors.initials: MU
authors.lastname: Rani
authors.forename: Mylaram Kistaiah
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Srikanth
authors.forename: Gopu
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Boobalan
authors.forename: Alla Gopala
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Reddy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002857:Chromium / Q000633:toxicity*; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D005260:Female; D005609:Free Radicals; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects*; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D015415:Biomarkers; D005609:Free Radicals; D002857:Chromium; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol
keywords: chromium (Cr VI); kidney; lipid peroxidation; liver; α-tocopherol