Protective roles of selenium on nitric oxide-mediated apoptosis of immune organs induced by cadmium in chickens.
Little is known about the influence of subchronic cadmium exposure on apoptosis in the immune organs of birds and the protective effects on apoptosis by selenium against cadmium. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of subchronic cadmium exposure on nitric oxide and apoptosis in the immune organs of chicken and the protective roles of selenium against cadmium-induced apoptosis. Two hundred ten 30-day-old chickens were randomly assigned to three groups and were fed a basal diet, cadmium+selenium (as 150 mg of CdCl2 per kg of diet+10 mg of Na2SeO3 per kg of diet ) or cadmium (as 150 mg of CdCl2 per kg of diet) in basic diets for 15, 30, 45, and 60 days. Then, the production of nitric oxide, messenger RNA (mRNA level), and the activity of inducible nitric oxide synthase, ultrastructural changes, TUNEL assay, and flow cytometric analysis of apoptosis and Bcl-2 and p53 mRNA levels in the immune organs were examined. The results showed that cadmium exposure caused ultrastructural damage and increased production of nitric oxide, mRNA level, and activity of inducible nitric oxide synthase, the degree, and the number of apoptotic cells in a time-dependent manner. Cadmium exposure decreased Bcl-2 mRNA level and increased p53 mRNA level in a time-dependent manner. Selenium supplementation during dietary cadmium reduced the production of nitric oxide, the mRNA level, and activity of inducible nitric oxide synthase, ultrastructural damage, and apoptosis in the immune organs of chicken. It indicated that cadmium induced nitric oxide-mediated apoptosis of immune organs, and selenium played protective effects against cadmium-induced apoptosis in the immune organs of chickens.
College of Pharmacy, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, 150040, People's Republic of China.
Li-li
LL
Liu
Jiu-li
JL
Zhang
Zi-wei
ZW
Zhang
Hai-dong
HD
Yao
Gang
G
Sun
Shi-wen
SW
Xu
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D002104:Cadmium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002645:Chickens; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012643:Selenium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D002104:Cadmium; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D012643:Selenium